Hideaway Tavern closing Monday, Mountain Hideaway planned
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ALPENA – A longtime roadside tavern on U.S. 23 North near Long Lake is closing one chapter and beginning another.
The Hideaway Tavern will close under its current management on Monday, and the building will soon reopen as The Mountain Hideaway, the third restaurant from Anthony and Liz Jekielek, owners of The Mountain Bar & Grill in Black River and Smokey's Mountain Bar & Grill near Hubbard Lake.
For Jekielek, the deal was years in the making.
"Since taking over the Mountain, it's been a goal to open a location in Alpena," he said. "When I saw this opportunity come across, we went over the numbers and decided this was something we could not pass up."
The Jekieleks bought The Mountain Bar & Grill in January 2021. The Black River landmark dates to 1936, when Oliver and Roseanne DeRocher opened a bar at U.S. 23 and Black River Road. The building burned that November and was rebuilt in 1937. After more than a dozen ownership changes over the decades, Jekielek and his wife took over and built a following for pizza, perch, burgers and full-service dining. In 2025 they expanded by purchasing Smokey's Bar and Grill and reopening it as Smokey's Mountain Bar & Grill.
The new spot sits at 10085 U.S. 23 North, roughly halfway between Alpena and Rogers City near Grand Lake Road. The property has long served travelers and lake communities with a dining room, a lengthy bar and live entertainment from time to time.
Jekielek said the response since the announcement has been immediate.
"The amount of phone calls and emails we have received since making the announcement is overwhelming," he said. "Several people have mentioned that they love coming to the Mountain, but the 25- to 30-minute drive can be a tough sell. Especially if you plan on having a couple of cocktails."
The former owner of the Hideaway died two years ago, and the business passed to his wife and daughter. Jekielek said the tavern had always been the father's passion more than theirs. The family is stepping away after a last week of service.
Jekielek said he intends to keep what made the building familiar.
"There is a lot of history attached to the Hideaway, and that history will remain," he said. "Give us a chance to show you a great experience, with great food and great service."
He said the plan is to keep the nostalgia the old Hideaway has while bringing the food and service model that built the other two restaurants.
Crews are already deep cleaning the kitchen through the dining room. Employees from the Mountain family will train at the Black River location over the next two weeks. A soft opening is targeted for Sept. 21.
Near-term work includes adding televisions, remodeling the bar area, replacing flooring, striping and seal-coating the parking lot, and updating the entrances. Jekielek said the bathrooms will get a refresh during a couple of weeks in January. A larger exterior overhaul is planned for 2028.
The menu will not be a carbon copy of either existing restaurant.
"We are taking the best of the best between the Mountain and Smokey's and merging them together to create the menu at the Mountain Hideaway," Jekielek said.
He stressed that the kitchens use quality ingredients, a point he has made since taking over the original Mountain and expanding its catering business across northern Michigan. His wife, Liz, handles payroll and other administrative work as the company grows.
Jekielek said the Alpena location needs to work for two audiences at once.
"We want the new Mountain Hideaway to be a destination spot, with people from all over the area stopping in," he said. "We also want to cater to our locals, from Grand Lake to Long Lake, and the entire Alpena community. We want to take care of our people."
That mix (highway traffic, lake residents and city diners) is the reason the couple chased an Alpena address. Black River remains a destination, but the drive has kept some customers from making it a regular stop. Putting a third establishment on the north side of Alpena, he said, closes that gap without abandoning the brand that already has a following.
He also drew a line on further expansion.
"We appreciate your support as we continue to grow," Jekielek said. "This is my final destination. There are currently no plans for a fourth location."
For now, the work is closer to home: finish the cleaning, train the staff, keep the building's character and try to open the doors by Sept. 21. Hideaway regulars are being asked to give the new operators a look. Jekielek said the history stays.