The C.C. Keller building located on Historic 25th Street and Lincoln Avenue was purchased in 2011 by brothers Michael and Jared Allen. It has been the home of the famous Rose Room Brothel, the Dangerous El Borracho and now Alleged, the only bar with a rooftop venue in the Ogden area.
When the building was the Rose Room Brothel, it was reported that men would wait in line along 25th Street to enter into this den of iniquity. When they were done, they would go down the stairs leading out to Lincoln. “It was quite popular, and people would come in through the door over there [pointing toward Historic 25th Street] and then walk down the stairs and out that door [toward Lincoln Ave],” Jared said.
Rossette Duccinni Davie, Madam of Rose Room Brothel, had one of the most successful brothels in Utah, and the Rose Room Brothel was just one of four she owned. She was an affluent member of the community and would regularly be seen walking the streets with her pet ocelot—a dwarf leopard. People have claimed though that Davie still resides in the building.
While the location is most famous as the Rose Room Brothel, it also had its part in the underground tunnel system of bootlegging alcohol during prohibition. A bar known as El Borracho that is known for shootings and other violent occurrences occupied the building between the time when Rose Room closed and Alleged opened.
The Allen Brothers opened the doors almost three years ago, almost 18 months after purchasing the property. Through many obstacles, they opened their doors on a Saturday evening after receiving their liquor license. There are two floors inside, topped by the only rooftop bar in the Ogden area.
Alleged is only open Thursday through Saturday, and weather permitting, they open their rooftop to patrons.
“We’re only open during those days because other times are too slow, and it’s not fair to our employees. Plus, it allows us the time to make repairs and repaint,” said Michael.
Alleged has three levels: the street level is a dance club that opens around 10 p.m., the second floor is the main bar area renovated with old materials leftover from when it was a brothel and finally there’s the rooftop where live performances are often held.
While Alleged has the capacity to make a variety of drinks, they tend to focus on more vodka-based beverages and higher quality alcohol. They also pour the max amount allowed into their drinks, making their drinks a little more pricey than normal, but you get more out of them.
Beejan Vakilian, bar manager, commented on two of Alleged’s signature drinks: “We’ve named a lot of our drinks after significant people of Ogden. Two of our most popular drinks are named Poppy and Peach, after two working girls of the Rose Room Brothel.”
Alleged has more of a club atmosphere, not the typical sports bar environment of most Historic 25th Street haunts.
“We try to classify this as more of a chic atmosphere and a place to allow people to dress up a little bit and relax—kind of a get-together with friends and just more relaxed talking earlier in the night,” Vakilian said.
Alleged has been open for over two and half years, and while they do make a profit, so far, all of the profits have gone back into rebuilding the Ogden community. “You can almost call us a non-profit company,” Vakilian said.
Alleged is just one among other projects that owners Michael and Jared Allen have pursued in their quest to help rebuild Ogden.
