Dinner, Drinks and Ghosts: America’s Most Haunted Restaurants

We all have our favorite haunts, but did you know that some restaurants are actually haunted? Imagine you’re enjoying a lovely meal when the lights flicker uncontrollably or wine glasses start floating in the air. What if you’re greeted at your table by the owner, who’s been deceased for decades, or are trying to clean up after a busy night when you hear strange voices and feel a hand on your shoulder — even though you’re the only one left at work.

If these kinds of spooky tales put you in the spirit, then bring along your EMF detector and a hearty appetite as we journey to the country’s most haunted restaurants.

Bon appetit!

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana 

As one of the most haunted cities in the world, New Orleans is filled with many spooky spots. This renowned French Quarter restaurant is said to be inhabited by “Count” Arnaud Cazenave, the original owner who died in 1948.

Eternally stylish, Arnaud can still be seen clad in his favorite tuxedo as he keeps a watchful eye on the place. Sometimes, he likes to rearrange the furniture and silverware, but you can’t blame a ghost for still wanting to be a perfectionist in the afterlife, right?

Location: Lewiston, Idaho

Disembodied voices, inexpiable cold spots and a female ghost who likes to hang out at the bar are some of the paranormal happenings staff have experienced at this regional fave, which specializes in creative bites and craft cocktails.

One person reported hearing a voice scream “Get out!” as glass shattered around them.  Some ghost experts believe the hauntings may be linked to a series of (also haunted) tunnels that run between the restaurant and Lewiston’s other historic buildings. 

Location: Aberdeen, Washington

Though this Washington eatery is family-friendly, some of the events that occurred here are for mature audiences only. Billy’s Bar and Grill is housed in the historic Crowther-Wooding Building, which dates back to 1904 and was the stomping grounds of a local scoundrel and serial killer named Billy Gohl.

Some believe Billy still haunts the place (it is named for him, after all), where he appears as an apparition, sends glasses flying across the bar and smokes cigarettes, which are smelt but never seen. Others believe to have seen the ghosts of some of Billy’s victims or other spirits lingering from the 1950s when the site was a brothel.

Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania

AV is short for the Italian phrase “altra volta” (another time), which is befitting because the building has had numerous incarnations, including being used as a morgue during the 1918 flu pandemic.

With that kind of history, it’s no wonder dark stuff happens here, including staff feeling a hand on their shoulders despite being alone, random glasses shattering and furniture moving on its own. Thankfully, customers mostly just enjoy some ghoulishly good pasta without feeling the full force of the spirits that surround them.