Well, folks, we finally tried the food.

After a week’s delay, the Hideaway Electric Speakeasy is open in downtown State College. State College’s most colorful bar officially opened for business during State Patty’s Weekend after a soft launch in the days prior.

The Hideaway features a unique food and drink menu, filled with interesting names and even more interesting cuisine. Our staffers made the trek down to the 127 E. Calder Way bar to give it a taste test. Folks can check out the full menu at the end of this post.

Editor’s note: A few of our staffers received some menu items complementary of the Hideaway while it was getting rid of some food and drink used in promotional shoots. We’d like to think this didn’t impact our judgment.

A Skirt From Down Unda

CJ Doebler: My first taste of the Hideaway came in the form of a steak sandwich. The sandwich was made with braised Wagyu beef, provolone, and shishito hollandaise on a bun. The hollandaise was a nice touch on top of the sandwich, and the wagyu beef was tender and cooked to my liking. Out of everything I tried on Wednesday, this was the highlight.

Mikey DeAngelis: I only tried a little bit of the skirt steak sandwich, but the mean was pretty tender and I loved the shishito peppers it was served with. At least I think they were shishito, that’s what they tasted like.

Joe Lister: I thought this was a well-made sandwich, even if I ate it (we split it) using a fork. Whatever sauce was paired with it was great, and the meat was tasty and cooked well.

Crab Ran-goonies Flatbread

CJ Doebler: This was…different, but in a good way. I’m a crab rangoon fan, but I also fear change, so this iteration of crab rangoon wasn’t something I envisioned myself eating, let alone liking. I’m still not completely sold on the idea of crab pizza, but this was a good start.

Fernando Martinez: There were a lot of options, so it was hard for me to choose my favorite. However, that prize went to the crab rangoon pizza. The taste was really good, and the fondue was a great appetizer.

Hailey Stutzman: I ate this late, so it was pretty cold. The crab wasn’t very flavorful. I’m a huge crab fan, but this didn’t blow me away.

Joe Lister: I really enjoy crab, but I never get the chance to eat it. I thought it was great on a pizza.

Fon-Du-Me

CJ Doebler: I enjoy the unorthodox food selection, but a return to normalcy with the fondue was very nice. The candle melting our fondue went out once, but a server was quickly there to reignite the flame and turn the cheese into the liquid gold that is fondue.

Evan Halfen: The cheese fondue was served hovering over a candle with toasted bread on the side and was my personal favorite. The warm cheese and bread were a perfect addition to this dip sampler and is the speakeasy’s twist on a deconstructed grilled cheese.

Noah Flenard: The assortment of breads with the shaved slices of cheese heated in an almost cauldron-shaped bowl was quite good. Watching the cheese melt and being able to dip the bread in was amazing. There were two types of bread: sourdough and pretzel bread. Both tasted different with the cheesy, but both tasted so good.

Hailey Stutzman: As a grilled cheese lover, this was awesome. Dipping fondue-style cheese onto the delicious bread was perfect.

Joe Lister: It’s cheese and bread. It’s awesome.

Hawk Tuah Shot

CJ Doebler: This was actually very good. The hawk to tuah ratio was just right. No notes.

Evan Halfen: The shot, mixed with coconut, pina citrus adjusted whipped cream, and nutmeg dust was pretty intimidating at first but actually tasted pretty good and left a tropical aftertaste.

Fernando Martinez: The Hawk Tuah shot was diabolical, and it reminded me a lot of the blowjob shot at the Phyrst. The one at the Phyrst was much better, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. 

Noah Flenard: The coconut base liquor is quite strong and leaves a bit of an aftertaste. The whipped cream on top helps to rid of the bitter taste of the coconut. Lastly, the sprinkled cinnamon on top is way more than decorative. The cinnamon aftertaste helps complete the Hawk Tuah shot. Considering I did more than one, it was pretty good.

Mikey DeAngelis: The hilariously named “Hawk Tuah” shot is more than just a funny gag shot. With a dash of cinnamon on top, the piña colada-esc shot was delicious, and one of the best value items on the menu. When I’m back at The Hideaway, this’ll be one of my go-tos.

Hailey Stutzman: This was disgusting, but I don’t like coconut. Spit on that thang?

Side note, that shot should have a trail of whipped cream leading up to the glass, like a blowjob shot.

Joe Lister: This shot didn’t change my life, but it was definitely solid. I thought the coconut flavor was great, but I do agree with Hailey on one thing: This would be an awesome gag shot.

Mango Disco Margarita

Evan Halfen: The mango margarita featured probably the fanciest tequila I’ve ever had and was the perfect drink to have with the meal I shared.

Not Naughty Nut Dip

Evan Halfen: The hummus came with veggies and pita and had a nice crunch to it. Wasn’t my favorite, but it went really well with the variety of veggies.

Mikey DeAngelis: The hummus was probably my favorite food item that I had. The blend of traditional chickpea hummus with pistachios and whatever else is in there was amazing. The honey-drizzled pita was an awesome pairing, along with a few of the vegetables, although I must admit that as a carb-enjoyer I would’ve preferred some more pita instead of the vegetables.

Hailey Stutzman: There were lots of options for what I could dip into the hummus. I don’t eat hummus often, but I thought this was a great appetizer.

Joe Lister: I’m not often a hummus supporter, but this was pretty good. There were plenty of options to what to pair with the hummus, and it seemed pretty healthy, too.

Short Circuit Cocktail

Fernando Martinez: I got the short circuit which was a coffee cocktail, and I really liked it. It had a good taste, but I don’t think it was worth the price.

Noah Flenard: The coffee martini was quite delicious. While the glass was small, the drink itself was very strong, and tasted great for the price! It was definitely one of my favorite espresso martinis I’ve ever had. If you enjoy a coffee martini, I’d recommend trying the Short Circuit.

Treat Yourself

Noah Flenard: The ice cream sundae was absolutely delicious! The ice cream sundae included a warm brownie underneath it, which complimented the flavor of the vanilla ice cream on top. The caramel and chocolate sauce drizzle was a perfect addition to the sundae. The sundae was one of my favorite I’ve ever had.

Hideaway Old Fashioned

Mikey DeAngelis: This is an incredibly well-done, tasty Old Fashioned. Such a simple and classic cocktail can be easy to take for granted, but not every bar does it this well. The Hideaway advertises its world-class bartender, and this drink was certainly the product of someone who knows what they’re doing.

Joe Lister: Great Old Fashioned. Went down easy, had decent whiskey, and tasted great.

Peach Fuzz Cocktail

Mikey DeAngelis: The peach fuzz cocktail is inherently tasty, but since it’s a very foamy drink, I do feel it lacks a bit in the value department. Again, it was very tasty, but after trying a few other drinks I think I’d spring for other options over this.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I like a fruity drink. Deal with it. This was a very good cocktail, with sweet notes and a bitterness that doesn’t overpower the drink. The balance of flavors works well, especially if you like these sorts of drinks.

The notes of sage in this cocktail combined with subtle, tropical notes made this my favorite of the cocktails we had. I only tried a sip, but I really liked it and would get it again.

Hailey Stutzman: I was confused by the “feline favorites” section of the menu. None of the drinks had the liquors listed. I’m pretty particular about what I drink, so I couldn’t order anything until I asked a bartender what was in each drink. I ended up going with this one, but I guess I missed reading the “fluffy” part because it was all whip and no liquid. Very strong, definitely not my favorite.

Joe Lister: I stole Hailey’s and thought it was pretty good. Then she stole it back.

Three-Way Dip

Evan Halfen: I split the three-dip happy hour special, which offers a combination of three dips for half off, featuring cheese fondue, guacamole, and pistachio hummus. Although I really enjoyed every dip, the cheese fondue was my personal favorite. I tried the guac first, which was served with chips. It tasted really fresh and had the perfect amount of tang and flavor.

Kyra Birmingham: I tried the three-way dip tease. This features guacamole, cheese fondue, and hummus.

The guac was probably my favorite, but all three were great. The hummus was served with veggies and pita, and as an avid hummus hater even I can say it wasn’t bad.

Chicky Cheeky Drumsticks

Joe Lister: I was the only one who ate these somewhat spicy chicken drumsticks, but there was plenty of meat on those bones. The sauce I got was also pretty good, but I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the sauces. Regardless, it was a solid meal somewhere between an appetizer and an entree.

Overall

Fernando Martinez: Overall, I liked the concept of this new bar but I do think some improvements should be made like the prices and the cover. If they make these changes, I really do think this bar could be a hit in State College.

Evan Halfen: Right when I walked into Hideaway, I knew I was in for a treat. Between the ceiling lights to the neon signs to the art, I was instantly intrigued by the unique vibes and ready to see what the menu had to offer. All of the drinks and food have such fun names and themes, making it such a very enjoyable Happy Hour experience.

Overall, between the vibes and the food and drinks, I highly recommend checking out the newest place in town, especially for its happy hour. I even had my cards read by a Psychic there.

Joe Lister: I was a little skeptical of the Hideaway despite spending some time there beforehand. I had those fears shaken while I was there on Wednesday — the menu is awesome. The prices can be a little bit high, but that’s all that would keep me from making frequent trips.