America's Most Haunted Bars And Restaurants

The following article refers to historical details that refer to violence, suicide, kidnapping, and sexual abuse.

For one month out of the year, bars and restaurants from the West "Ghost" to the East get into the Halloween spirit by dressing up and concocting all manner of eerie eats and spooky cocktails heavy on blood oranges, ghost peppers, and strawberry jelly "blood." For real horror-philes, there are even a few spots that do it year-round, such as New York's Jekyll and Hyde and The Haunted House Restaurant in Cleveland Heights.

However, numerous other establishments across the nation don't need to hang fake spiderwebs and set out plaster skulls as they come with a built-in spooky vibe, thanks to their resident revenants. Many of the restaurants on this list are, as you'd expect, older than dirt — what, after all, is the point of having a colonial-era tavern if you can't count on a few flickering lights, mysterious noises, and unexplained cold spots? Others, however, don't quite fit the stereotype: who'd expect a haunted pizza parlor, Chinese restaurant, or burger joint? And yet, as the famously haunted "Hamlet" once told his pal, the original "final boy," "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy" ...even a chain restaurant ridden with suburban specters.

While Charleston, South Carolina is another historic city with no shortage of ghosts, the haunted establishment, Poogan's Porch, only dates back to the U.S. Bicentennial. Well, the restaurant, that is — the building itself was constructed in 1891, which still makes it fairly recent as Charleston goes. Poogan, for whom the restaurant was named, was a fluffy white pup who didn't really belong to anyone in particular but liked to hang out on the porch of the house that would eventually be converted into the restaurant. By all accounts, the dog didn't mind too much when his place re-opened as an eatery (perhaps there were some tasty scraps in it for him). He spent a few happy years as a greeter in residence before passing away from what the restaurant reassures us were natural causes.

Poogan's spirit, however, still hangs out on that same porch, seemingly undeterred by the fact that table scraps are likely to pass right through his spectral body. He may have another ghost friend, though, a human one. As Kiawah River tells it, a woman named Zoe St. Amand, daughter of the original homeowners, passed away in 1954, but she, too, is sticking close to home. Visitors to the restaurant have reported her slamming doors, toppling glasses, and calling for the sister who predeceased her. Some have even seen her, and apparently, she seems to be a fairly normal-looking older woman, albeit one who's really into vintage fashion.

While Country House has had several different Illinois locations over the years, the original one (which is the one with the ghost) is in Clarendon Hills. This restaurant opened in 1922 as what was described as a roadhouse, but no, the haunting has nothing to do with any Patrick Swayze-style violence. It seems, in fact, as if the first 50 years of the restaurant were fairly ghost-free, as the hauntings kicked off in 1974 during some remodeling. The spooky story began with shutters opening on their own, which naturally spooked the contractor. A couple of mediums were sent for, who determined that the restaurant was haunted by a young woman who died in the 1950s. Some questioning of the former staff then unearthed the sad tale of a girl who was dating one of the bartenders and died with her baby in a car crash (said to be deliberate), about half a mile from the restaurant.

Even after being identified, this unhappy phantom's been sticking around to bang on walls, move pots and pans, turn on the jukebox after closing hours, and, on occasion, appear to beckon from a window or stand in the bathroom door. (What is it about ghosts and bathrooms, anyway?) The baby's ghost might also be there, as it's been heard to cry. The spirits seem wary of ghost hunters, however, as it's said they won't make an appearance when anyone comes looking.

With a name like Deadwood, you'd expect a few ghosts, and this South Dakota town doesn't disappoint. As per the South Dakota Department of Tourism, it may be the state's spookiest city, and the Fairmont Hotel and Oyster Bay Bar is one of its most haunted locations. While the thought of eating oysters in such a very landlocked state is kind of scary all on its own, for a truly terrifying experience, you'll need to book a 90-minute $20 ghost tour through this famously haunted former saloon and brothel. (Are all old brothels haunted, or are all haunted buildings former brothels? It's starting to seem kind of chicken-and-eggish.)

As to who's haunting the place, Only In Your State names three main ghosts. The only one with a name is Margaret Broadwater, a young woman most likely employed by the brothel who jumped out a window in 1907. The self-defenestration was apparently performed under the influence of alcohol, with the possible motive being that she was said to be pregnant at the time. The other two ghosts are men — one of them, the jealous boyfriend of another brothel employee, shot and killed one of his girlfriend's clients and then accidentally (but fatally) shot himself. There may also be a fourth ghost, a boy whose backstory is unknown, but he may have been born to a brothel worker back in the days when birth control methods tended to be illegal and ineffective.

The Jameson Tavern in Freeport, Maine is a place with some historic significance — it was built in 1779 and is said to have been the site where Maine's founders officially seceded from Massachusetts in 1820. You would think, then, that the place would be haunted by a bewigged, pipe-smoking politician, wouldn't you? But no, it seems Jameson's resident ghost is actually a mischievous little girl instead.

An article originally published in the "Community Leader" in 2004 and reprinted on the Jameson Tavern's website reveals that the ghost is named Emily, and she tragically passed away in a fire on the building's top floor (now the attic) at some time early in the 19th century. While it's always incredibly sad to hear of children dying decades before their time, child ghosts often tend to be of the not-so-scary variety, and Emily is no exception. She mostly just flits in and out, although, on at least one occasion, she's been known to play with a young restaurant guest. Occasionally she gets a bit naughty, but the worst she's ever done is toss a jar of toothpicks or drop pots and pans on the ground. For the most part, restaurant patrons and staff don't find Emily frightening but instead see her as quite a friendly little phantom.

While Jerome, Arizona is often described as a "ghost town," this doesn't mean that it's deserted. Instead, the former mining town is now bustling with antique shops, wineries, art galleries, and other accouterments of the upscale tourist trade. Jerome's real draw, however, may be its reputation for being haunted, as the town offers ghost tours covering numerous spooky homes and hotels as well as a phantom-infested hospital and high school. You can even dine in an eerie eatery, that being Jerome's own Haunted Hamburger.

The current owners of Haunted Hamburger learned of the resident spooks when they started renovating an abandoned building once known as Jerome Palace into a restaurant. The ghosts, it seems, have a thing for hammers, so they kept swiping this particular tool, although they've also been known to slam doors, toss cans, and turn on the water. Although there doesn't seem to be much information available about these specters, Map Spirits describes them as a tall woman, a young girl, and a mysterious, shadowy entity. No word as to what's up with the whole hammer time thing, although at this point, perhaps they're sticking around for the food — the menu features Ghostly and Haunted Burgers, a Haunted Chicken sandwich, and drinks called the Hauntarita and Haunted Bloody.

While the last couple of hauntings we've discussed have been a little light on details, we now turn to a ghost story that is as well fleshed-out as the tale of two ectoplasmic beings can be. Mesilla, New Mexico's Double Eagle, which dates back to 1849, has been painstakingly preserved and restored to retain its antique ambiance. A ghost story, then, was practically de rigueur, so the restaurant owners went digging for one and were rewarded with the tragic tale of star-crossed lovers Armando and Inez.

They say Armando was the son of the Maes family, who first owned the private home that would eventually become the Double Eagle. He fell in love with a servant — Inez — but his mother disapproved of the romance and kicked her out of the house. Inez snuck back to visit her sweetie, but Armando's enraged mamá stabbed her to death with scissors and then accidentally dealt her son a fatal wound as well as he tried to stop the attack. The lovers both died but later returned to haunt the old place, of course — or else there would be no story to tell. They're particularly active in the Carlotta Salon, where they met their end, mostly sticking to standard ghost stuff like breaking glasses, moving tables, and whispering. Oddly enough, they also appear to have some weight to them as they've left a matching pair of ghostly butt-prints in two upholstered chairs.

Even in a legendary foodie paradise like New Orleans, Brennan's stands above the rest. This historic restaurant may be best known as the birthplace of Bananas Foster, and it also claims to have created the Bloody Bull, a beef bouillon-spiked Bloody Mary that still features prominently on its brunch menu. What diners may not know, however, is just how haunted the pink palace truly is despite its way-too-pretty-to-be-spooky décor.

While Brennan's restaurant dates back to 1946 (via Brennan's), the building it has occupied since 1956 dates back to the late 18th century, and so does one of its resident ghosts. New Orleans Ghosts says that Monsier LaFleur, who haunts the Morphy Room (formerly the Red Room), killed his wife and son — and later died by suicide — in that location and has been known to manifest in the form of cold spots or even a shadowy specter. 

The other phantoms are quite a bit friendlier, though. Former Brennan's sommelier Herman Funk, now deceased (more or less), haunts the wine cellar and helps out servers by pointing out bottles that patrons might enjoy. One-time star chef Paul Blangé prefers to hang out in the kitchen or dining room and seems particularly pleased whenever anyone orders his signature dessert, Bananas Foster.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

How to create a haunted restaurant: The most important steps involve starting a restaurant, dying there, and returning to visit from beyond the grave. However, it might help to also name the place "The White Horse Tavern." Yes, there are not one, but two such establishments on this list, both very haunted. Rather than a deceased 20th-century poet, however, the 17th-century White Horse in Newport, Rhode Island boasts the ghosts of a former patron and possibly a one-time proprietor.

The White Horse Tavern was built as a home in 1652 and converted into a tavern in 1673. While it was once owned by an early 18th-century pirate (true story!), he isn't thought to be haunting the place. Instead, one of the ghosts may be that of a man who mysteriously died after overnighting there. HauntedHouses.com says he appears in the dining room and upstairs men's bathroom and has been known to bother female guests (presumably not in the latter location). Another, less-visible spirit is one that the New England Folklore blog thinks might be a former owner since they seem to take quite an interest in the inn's day-to-day operations. There's also one more female entity, perhaps that of a girl who worked at the hotel at the same time the first ghost met his end. She, herself, caught smallpox (although not from him) and died while in quarantine.

Old writers never die. Apparently, they just change genres and turn themselves into...ghost stories? Well, except for Edgar Allan Poe, since he was already working in that area. Dashiell Hammett, however, may have specialized in stories of murder and mayhem, but his tales didn't typically involve a paranormal element. Still, one story about the writer that's told at his favorite restaurant, John's Grill, is of the spooky sort. As a server once told the San Francisco Chronicle (via SFist), Sam Spade's creator has been known to show up in the third-floor dining room at 11 a.m., just in time for an early lunch seating.

So what would Hammett's ghost order if he could consume food? In "The Maltese Falcon," Sam Spade visits the restaurant and dines on chops, a baked potato, and sliced tomatoes. The shout-out not only granted John's Grill its status as a designated Literary Landmark, but the meal's been enshrined on the restaurant's menu as Sam Spade's Lamb Chops. Is this what draws Hammett's hungry specter back, or is he instead there to protest the fact that he only gets a menu mention under the name of his favorite character — while exercise guru, Jack LaLanne, has a seafood salad with his own moniker? Too bad LaLanne's ghost is a no-show as far as we know, since it would be fun to see them square off in a battle of the tough dead guys.

One of the least likely pairings between ghost and venue is that of the Chinese-Japanese restaurant and karaoke bar known as Wok and Roll. However, we doubt the specter is a big fan of sushi since, at the time she was alive, raw fish was something you'd only consume under the most desperate of circumstances (probably a good idea in those pre-refrigeration days). Nor, by all accounts, does the ghost sing karaoke, although Scary DC says she's been known to mutter, whisper, and cry. She's got plenty to moan about, too, as she's well-known to history (but not in a good way).

So what famous phantom stalks Wok and Roll? The ghost is that of notorious Civil War villainess Mary Surratt. According to Ghosts of DC, back in the 1860s, this building — which now stands in DC's Chinatown — was a boarding house owned by the Confederate-sympathizing Surratt. Here, she and co-conspirators such as John Wilkes Booth met secretly to plot the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Post-assassination, Surratt earned the distinction of being the first woman to receive a federal death sentence. Today her boarding house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (via Library of Congress), so its exterior is something she'd still recognize. However, as to the interior...well, DC Ghosts says she's still wandering around the second floor, but she's likely rather bemused by what's happening beneath her incorporeal feet.