20's Hideout Steakhouse
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When owner Jeff Diederich acquired 20’s Hideout Steakhouse & Bar in the ’90s, it was in need of a facelift. He and his team overhauled the Marion restaurant from the inside out, upgrading everything from the décor to the menu to staff training, and introduced live piano music nightly to create a more elegant space.

Though nearly everything about the restaurant had changed, the name stayed intact, paying homage to a decade with great historical significance to Williamson County. (American bootlegger Charlie Birger was from the area.) And guests took notice.

“People can get a meal anywhere,” Diederich says. “Before, we would have been comparable to a Ruby Tuesdays or an O’Charleys. But we’ve looked for ways to separate ourselves.”

One of the major ways they’ve separated themselves is through their beef. Diederich acquired land in 2014 to set up a commercial cattle farming operation for the restaurant, and employs a team of farmers to raise Black Angus beef cattle.

“We follow a very strict feed and care policy to ensure an extremely high quality of beef,” says Diederich, noting no antibiotics or hormones ever make it into the restaurant’s beef supply. The cattle are transported to a USDA processing center in St. Louis every week, then the beef is shipped back in quarters and aged for 21 days. The kitchen crew at the restaurant hand-cuts steaks fresh every morning.

Diederich, who has a background in wine and spirits, has also implemented a stellar wine program at the restaurant. About 5,000 bottles of wine are on hand at any time, ranging in price from $7 a glass to $600 a bottle. The restaurant also recently converted its wine menu to a digital format on an iPad, allowing guests to find a variety to suit them by answering a series of questions.

Though the beef is as good as it gets, the wine list rivals the best in the state and the nightly piano music makes 20’s Hideout Steakhouse sound like a special occasion restaurant, Diederich is quick to point out that the environment is casual and welcoming to everyone.

“I’d call it kind of a fancy restaurant you can still come to in a pair of jeans,” he says.

If You Go...


20’s Hideout Steakhouse & Bar
Location: 2602 Wanda Drive in Marion
Hours: Open for dinner Monday through Thursday, 2 to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 2 to 11 p.m. Brunch through dinner served Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Phone: (618) 997-8325
Website: hideoutsteakhouse.com, diederichfarms.com

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