Dine With Ghostly Spirits

California

Ghost of former owner

Patrick's Roadhouse in Santa Monica, California is known for celebrity sightings, overstuffed omelets, and a shamrock decorated exterior. This is a narrow roadhouse which has inherited some ghosts form the buildings previous businesses like a motel, hot dog stand, brothel, and trolley station, One of the most active spirits is the last owner, Bill Fichier, who publicly likes to ridicule customers complaining about the food. From time to time he shows up to check on the restaurant and staff. A chef quit after seeing Fischier's ghost appear at the back of the restaurant and glaring at the him with dissatisfaction.

Ghostly spirits in the kitchen

The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California was a ship that once carried troops in WW II. Later it operated as a luxury cruise ship, This is a historic ocean liner that has been the site of nearly 50 deaths, Now the dead roam the decks of this ship. The Queen Mary is anchored and has become a novelty hotel. Among the haunted places onboard is the kitchen where supposedly a chef was stuffed into an oven during WW II and roasted by a crew who hated his cooking. People can hear his screams, Another presence is thought to be the ghost of Leonard "Lobster" Horsborough, who was the chef on the ship's last voyage. He died in 1967 and was buried at sea, There are many who think that his spirit has returned to the kitchen where he spent 15 years. Staff members have seen "Lobster" appear and disappear and still going about his business in the kitchen.

Colorado

Ghostly nannies

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is located near Rocky Mountain National Park. When staying there author Stephen King was inspired to write his novel "The Shining." A paranormal investigator was staying in Room 407 with two friends. She heard footsteps in the hallway, waited for a knock when they stopped outside the door but heard nothing, Then someone sat down next to her on the bed and she felt the mattress dip. The investigator now leads the hotels ghost hunts from 8 PM to 1 AM and thinks that the ghost could have been one of the nannies who were once employed on the fourth floor. Hotel guests have reported seeing nannies working and tucking guests into bed as if they were children and even making beds sometimes with guests still in them.

Connecticut

Strange happenings

The Twisted Vine in Derby, Connecticut is housed in a building dating back to the late 1800s which was once the Birmingham National Bank. So now the wine collection here is found in an old bank vault. The Twisted Vine opened in 2005 and staff and customers have witnessed some very unusual things. The light flash at random particularly when someone asks a question and furniture likes to move by itself. Paranormal activity seems to increase when there is live music so perhaps the spirits enjoy dancing. On Thursday evenings people can enjoy a paranormal dinner and ghost tour. Many diners have found images and photos of orbs on their cell phones.

Illinois

Shattering wine glasses

The Chicago Chop House in Chicago, Illinois is located in a historic brownstone build which was once the residence of the Minier family. Robert Minier, who was an electrician made local headlines when he saved the steamer ship Alice Stafford, which he was working on, from exploding in the middle of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately for him his nine year old daughter Florence passed away and her spirit has remained behind at the brownstone. Guests have heard a child crying. Other paranormal activity has been wine glassed flying off the bar and shattering on the floor and lights turn off and on by themselves. There have been sightings on all three levels of the restaurant but the best place to see a spirit in the evenings is on the third floor.

Louisiana

A spirit with a reservations

Muriel's at Jackson Square in New Orleans, Louisiana has a ghostly spirit with a standing reservations whose name is Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan. When ruined by gambling, losing his house in a game in 1814 Jourdan committed suicide on the second floor in this house. He now spends a great deal of time in the Seance Lounges upstairs where he knocks on walls. The staff have seen glasses fly off the bar and shatter against the brick wall at least three times since 2001.

Spirits making themselves known

At Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana it was Chef Paul Blange who created a lot of the iconic dishes in the restaurant. Even though he passed on in 1977 his spirit remains in the kitchen. He had been a very dedicated chef who was buried with the menu and a knife and fork across his chest. At the end of a night's shift he bangs pots and pans while the doors to the restaurant are locked. Meanwhile the spirit of sommelier Herman Funk, who helped to build the legendary collection of wines and spirits in the cellar signals his selections to servers by clinking bottles.

Maryland

Meet Edgar Allen Poe

The Horse You Came in On Saloon, locally known in Baltimore, Maryland as "The Horse," was established in 1775 and is America’s oldest continually operating saloon. It is here that you can find the legend of writer Edgar Allen Poe since this was the last place he was seen before mysteriously passing away in 1849. There have been sightings of his ghostly spirit heading for the saloon and bartenders make sure to set out a glass of cognac for him.

Massachusetts

Eerie happenings

The Brick & Ash opened in Newburyport, Massachusetts in 2016 and is a place for great bar food, live music, and games, Ghostly happenings date back to when the building was a brothel and a woman called Lucinda was pushed down a flight of stairs to her death, She has haunted the place since. Back in the 1970s when this was a restaurant called Ten Center staff remember glasses shattering and temperatures dropping drastically in various parts of the building The bar manager of Brick & Ash has gotten unexpected chills, seen lights flickering and dimming and hearing footsteps on the fatal stairway where Lucinda met her death. Lucinda has had a drink named after her, The Lucinda a gin and tonic with fresh lime and basil.

Massachusetts

Spirit of original owner

The original owner of Stone's Public House in Ashland, Massachusetts John Stone was a man with a secret. A psychic discovered that the ghostly spirit of Mr Stone had killed a New York border named Michael during a fight in 1845. Stone had accused the man of cheating in a card game in which Michael won $3500. Witnesses helped Stone bury the body. Today Stone and other spirits put their ghostly hands on the necks of customers and throw glasses from the shelves.

Michigan

Crying woman in white

The Whitney is a palatial building in midtown Detroit, Michigan. It was a private residence until 1833 and after years of being used for different businesses it became the Whitney Restaurant in 1987. On the first floor dinner is served in the Music Room and if you want a drink you can go upstairs to the Ghostbar. The restaurant has acquired some ghosts who do things like make the empty elevator move from floor to floor and guests have seen a crying woman dressed all in white in the ladies' lounge on the third floor, After the owner's son had his bachelor party there he saw that he had had a ghostly guest who was captured in a group photo.

Minnesota

Mischievous orphan

Black Woods Bar & Grill has three locations in the North Star state, but its Two Harbors location tends to have the most ghostly activity. Apparently a young orphan whose name was Sarah fell down the stairs. Since then her restless spirit roams the building, Diners and staff have seen a woman in white suddenly appear and then quickly vanish. Phantom footsteps and disembodied voices have been heard. People have felt a cold chill as if someone would be breathing down the back of their necks. Some of Sarah's shenanigans include filbert nuts flying off of the bar and a salt shaker being repeatedly knocked off of a ledge.

Missouri

Scent of cigar smoke

Succotash in Kansas City, Missouri was a 100 year old saloon known as the Dutch Hill Bar & Grill. At the bar a regular still has not left. There was a gentleman named Radar who would come to the bar all the time and sit smoking cigarillos. When the restaurant closes for the night the staff can smell his cigar smoke. This was a place he enjoyed coming to and when he passed on his spirit continued coming to the bar.

Missouri

Piano plays itself

The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri is a Victorian type mansion that has been turned into a restaurant, brewery, and inn. The story of the Lemp family started with Adam Lemp, a German immigrant who succeeded in selling German-style lagers in America. His son, William J. Lemp was successful in expanding the brewery and took it over in 1862, but shot himself, The fourth son, Frederick, died unexpectedly at the age of 28. Next in line was Billy Lemp Jr but at this time the Prohibition shut down the brewer. Billy shot himself in his office which is today a dining room, His brother Charles inherited the mansion in 1929 and had two servants and a dog for company. He shot himself and his dog in 1949 leaving behind a note that read "Blame it on no one but me" At the bar guests have heard the piano play by itself, glasses have been seen flying through the air, and the doors lock and unlock on their own. There have even been full body apparitions seen.

New Mexico

Hotel with seven ghosts

The St James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico has seven ghosts as permanent residents. These spirits like to be mischievous and they start up parties in the bar, poker games in the high roller room, and at four in the morning guest get pennies thrown at them while they are in bed sleeping. Room 18 is the preferred room for visiting spirits. There is one really angry ghost in this room and to appease him the staff leave a glass of whiskey for him in the room.

New York

Beardsley Castle in Little Falls, New York is a restaurant housed in a faux Irish castle in the Mohawk Valley in New York state. It was shown on the TV show "Ghost Hunters" because there were rumors of ghosts that shattered glasses, moved objects and closed doors. When a ghost hunter from New Hampshire checked out the castle he found that there were two spirits. It is possible that the spirits might be of Anton "Pop" Christensen, the former owner, who was in failing health and hung himself in the ladies room in the 1950s and a bride-to-be Abigail who died the night before her wedding. Then in 1989 a fire broke out in the castle damaging the kitchens but not harming the original structure. It was thought that this was a way for the ghosts to rebel against all the attention. To this day not all of the ghostly activity is destructive because the spirits also reset tables.

Sailor ghost

Ear Inn is one of the oldest bars in New York City and also one of the most haunted. The house was built in 1817 for an aide to George Washington named James Brown. Since the mid-19th century the inn has been a bar and restaurant. Ghostly apparitions here are of those who died during the Prohibition, when the bar operated as a nameless speakeasy. These spirits still enjoy visiting the bar. Among them the most famous is a sailor named Mickey who once lived in the attic during the 1960s. Mickey was killed by a car in front of the building and now returns to light up the fireplace and feed off of the energy given from the cell phones of customers which suddenly go dead.

North Carolina

Wandering spirits

The Live Oak is located in Southport, a historic town on Brunswick Island in North Carolina. This is a charming turn of the century house with original pine floors and antiques. The restaurant has a few spirits among them a young girl who once lived here and some wandering spirits passing through town. The chef-owner has seen doors opening and closing by themselves, items falling off the cabinets, and a clock falling off the wall. They offer Ghost and Gourmet dinners with a personal reading with a psychic medium.

Always a doctor on call

The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is an inn that has a permanent doctor on call. It is believed that Dr. William Jacocks, who died in 1965 stayed in Room 256 for the last 17 years of his life and decided to remain there even after death. His spirit is friendly and has a sense of humor. Occasionally he'll play practical jokes on guest and will lock them out of their rooms. After having to break into rooms too many times the management switched to electronic locks but the good doctor even manages to jam those.

Oregon

Lady in a black dress

Old Town Pizza & Brewing in Portland, Oregon was founded in 1974 in the lobby of the Merchant Hotel which is one of the oldest buildings in Portland. Even when placing your order for a slice of pizza you might be joined by Nina (pronounced "Nigh-na"). This lady has been around for more than a century and can be seen wearing a black dress, She has been known to wander in the basement or observe diners and if her spirit gets close enough you can smell her perfume. Despite being an upstanding institution the Merchant Hotel was also known for prostitution. According to local legend Nina was one of the working girls and was murdered and left in the elevator shaft which is now a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant. In honor of Nina you can try the Ghost Pie which has beer-marinated chicken with an Alfredo sauce base and roasted red peppers and mushrooms.

South Carolina

Distressed woman trapped in restaurant

At Poogan's Porch in Charleston, South Carolina seeing a distressed woman dressed all in black trapped inside this restaurant the Charleston police have received many calls. She is believed to be the apparition of Zoe St Armand, who owned the house in the early 1900s and lost her mind after her sister died, who was her only friend, Legend has it that Zoe fell down a flight of stairs to her death while searching for her sister one night. The assistant general manager of the restaurant says the you can see her looking for her sister in the front dining room. There is also the spirit of the restaurant's namesake, a Wheaton terrier named Poogan who passed on in 1979. Little children who come here with their families say they have felt Poogan run under tables.

Texas

Coffee brewing ghost

Catfish Plantation in Waxahachie, Texas is known as the "most haunted restaurant in Texas" This Cajun restaurant has made its home in a Victorian house that appears to have many specters. In 1970 the former resident, Carolina passed away but it appears that she is still running the kitchen. The owners of the restaurant in the 1980s found a pot of coffee brewing one morning and on another morning in the middle of the kitchen floor there was a stack of teacups. People have also seen the apparition of a bride standing by a window.

Wisconsin

Twenty-two ghosts

The Walker House in Mineral Point, Wisconsin was once a cave that was carved out of limestone and sandstone rock by Cornish miners in the 1820s. The miners had expanded it into a small stone house and then a 15,000 square foot block long three story building, When people arrived by train at the Mineral Point Depot across from The Walker House they could find food and lodgings.

The haunting first began with the Tommyknockers, elf-like ghosts who supposedly lived in the caves and later the co-owner discovered there were 22 ghosts at The Walker House. Among them are William Caffery, who keeps looking for his head since he was hanged, the Lady in Black who helped President Lincoln write his Gettysburg Address, the Little Girl in Blue who keeps running through the hallways searching for her room, and the Ghost Cat who enjoys sunning himself in the west windows.