Historic Indian Creek Tavern hosts grand reopening after 4-year closure
“This is much needed. (The residents) have been waiting for this for way too long.”
The historic Indian Creek Tavern officially reopened its doors to local patrons during a grand opening on July 27.
The day prior, a soft opening was hosted for invitees to explore the renovated restaurant and amphitheater. Co-owner Brannon Osterberger said around 100 to 200 people were invited to the July 26 event, and around 250 to 300 people showed up.
“Everything went great. Everybody loved the food,” Osterberger said, adding the kitchen even ran out of some of its menu items as orders kept rolling in. “We didn’t expect that many people, but we made do.”
On July 27, the tavern’s doors opened at 11 a.m. By that evening, every table, bar stool and standing space was full.
“It’s going awesome,” Osterberger said as patrons ate, drank, laughed and bustled around him. “Everybody’s been friendly. We haven’t had any major complaints, and hopefully everybody loves the food.”
The Indian Creek Tavern, formerly known as the Spring Hill Tavern, was mainly a bar and boarding house dating back to the 1800s, according to the Oxford Press archive. The bar reopened in 2007 as the Indian Creek Tavern and was rebranded as a restaurant with an amphitheater for outdoor entertainment.
Owners of the historic Indian Creek Tavern located at 6206 Main St. in Reily Township hosted its grand reopening on July 27, 2026, after being closed for four years prior. An outdoor amphitheater behind the building has been restored in anticipation of upcoming concerts and events to be hosted at the tavern. Photos by Aidan Cornue.
The restaurant was closed following the most recent owner’s death in September 2021.
Now, after months of work, Osterberger said the restaurant is once again fully staffed and will likely need even more people on call as concerts and other outdoor events are booked.
The menu, he said, is set and will include some daily specials and soups in the fall.
Right now, it includes appetizers like fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, nachos and corn dogs; smash burgers and sandwiches, including Philly cheesesteaks, chicken and fish. The menu also includes wings, flatbread pizzas, salads and a kids menu.
Osterberger said he and the other owners – his wife Jennifer Osterberger, and Bryon and Tonya Spencer – are working with the Bourbon Road Band to schedule a concert for a currently unannounced date in September. He said they’re also talking to other artists like Ledfoot from Dayton, the Indian Creek Band from Oxford and Diamond Rio.
“I just want it to be like it was before – family oriented – and just good food and cold drinks and music,” Osterberger said, adding he and the other owners are still working on planning movies on the hill for kids during the week. “We’ll make everybody happy.”
Jason Buttery, who’s always lived in the Oxford area, was at the grand opening on July 27 and said he used to work at the Indian Creek Tavern as a bouncer and bartender before it closed several years ago. He said when he heard the restaurant was reopening, he wanted to stop in to “see if it was anything like it used to be.”
“(It’s) very busy. Seems to be nice,” Buttery said, adding he used to work with some of the bartenders that have since returned to the tavern. “I couldn’t wait to come down and see them. … It’s good to see some of the old faces still here, and I’ve seen a few locals that are here already. So it’s good to see everybody back in here.”
Owners of the historic Indian Creek Tavern located at 6206 Main St. in Reily Township hosted its grand reopening on July 27, 2026, after being closed for four years prior. Photos by Aidan Cornue.
Doug Benge, a Darrtown resident, said he came to the restaurant for years before it closed and was in the Reily Township area often to help build the bridge along Oxford Reily Road.
“I was excited,” Benge said of hearing the tavern would reopen. “Everything’s good. Food’s good. Good people I haven’t seen in a long time.”
Dakota Witsken, of Trenton, and Dustin Hamblin, of Oxford, were both at the grand opening to support their friends who own the restaurant.
Hamblin said he also used to go to the tavern before it closed in 2021 and is now excited to see more bands in the amphitheater. Witsken said he thinks the tavern will do well, as it’s one of just two restaurants within Reily Township, the other being Reily Pizza.
“This is much needed,” Witsken said. “(The residents) have been waiting for this for way too long.”
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Updates about events and hours will be posted to the Indian Creek Tavern and Amphitheater Facebook page.
