No one needs a secret knock or a special password to get into this speakeasy.
Up Cellar, Bargersville’s swanky new steakhouse, wine bar and lounge, was envisioned as an intimate gathering place for the community, where people could enjoy locally raised steaks, a chilled drink or a glass of wine.
But the thrill of something illicit still hangs over every step up to its darkened entryway.
“People enter through the dark staircase, it’s almost black, you have the neon sign at the top. Then they turn the corner, and it’s like the unveiling for the space,” said Nathan Huelsebusch, CEO of Up Cellar. “I think people like the mood and overall aesthetic.”
The unique atmosphere is just part of the appeal to Up Cellar, which adds a new dimension to dining in downtown Bargersville. A menu featuring steaks, salads, chicken, fish and more — with many ingredients sourced from local producers and growers — is new and bold for a small-town restaurant.
Diners can order Waygu sirloin, a tomahawk pork chop or lobster cavatappi, then pair it with a curated wine list or a signature cocktail.
The hope is that the eatery adds a new dimension to downtown Bargersville that only serves to enhance the town.
“It’s something you’d experience in a larger downtown environment, but still in the smaller capacity of Bargersville,” Huelsebusch said.
Up Cellar is the latest entry from the team behind Taxman Brewing Co. In addition to the brewpub located just down the street, the Huelsebusches have opened up a Neopolitan pizzeria, Pizza & Libations, and the European-style Cellar’s Market Bakery & Bottle Shop.
With this most recent concept, the idea was to focus on a more up-scale offering, Huelsebusch said.
“We’ve always wanted to do something that was a little more elevated and higher-end. It’s just difficult in a smaller community like this,” he said. “This was a bonus space for us in the build-out for the other places, so there wasn’t as much pressure for this to perform. It gave us the opportunity to do something we were passionate about.”
The smaller space offered a chance to create a lounge with an intimate feel. There is no sign marking its entrance; people have to enter Pizza & Libations, walk through a side door and walk up a darkened staircase towards a glowing neon sign imploring them to “Drink Up”
The color palette is dark grays, browns and blacks, with lighting provided by sparkling crystal chandeliers and orange-tinged neon.
Wine bottles and glasses line the far wall, while mosaic pieces hang opposite of it.
“We were going for a more moody setting, an atmosphere with a little bit darker lighting, plush chairs — just comfortable,” Huelsebusch said. “Using the wine as art was one of the big things with what we wanted to do design-wise.”
While the atmosphere is muted, the menu is bright. Centered primarily on steaks, the menu brings together a variety of dry-aged and American Waygu cuts, while also offering sustainably sourced seafood and other pastured raised proteins.
An emphasis was placed on working with area producers and growers, including Black Hawk Farms, Capriole Creamery, Fischer Farms, Viking Lamb Farm and Heirloom Acres, a Bargersville operation.
“We really wanted to focus on sourcing,” Huelsebusch said. “Being able to pull as much from what’s available locally, and showcase those ingredients was a big driver for us.”
To go with the food, Up Cellar features a diverse menu with cocktails, wine and spirits. A team of mixologists offer an imaginative list of drinks. The more adventurous can try the Buttoned Up — featuring Haberdasher gin, Lillet Blanc apéritif, Triplo Lemon liqueur and lavender absinth rinse — or the Coming Up Roses, made with 1205 vodka, St. Germain, simple lime, sea salt and rose water.
At the same time, they’ll find a tried-and-true Old Fashioned.
The wine cellar features globally inspired new-world and old-world wines, with a seasonally rotated list of by-the-glass offerings.
Up Cellar quietly opened in late April, starting with reservation-only diners and slowly expanding availability. The intimate interior dining room has limited seating — enough for 74 guests — though with open-air patio looking out over Bargersville, more tables are open during nice weather, Huelsebusch said.
“It gives us the flexibility with the capacity,” he said. “It’s nice to have something that’s elevated and up over the city.”
AT A GLANCE
Up Cellar
What: An elevated speakeasy-style steakhouse featuring a diverse menu, wine bar and cocktail lounge.
Where: 63 N. Baldwin St., Bargersville
Hours: 5-11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
Information and menu: theupcellar.com
