10 Haunted Restaurants In Florida Where Dinner Comes With A Shiver
Florida’s humid nights feel a whisper from secrets. Step into a dining room lit by low lamps, where stories float as easily as aromas from the kitchen.
These ten restaurants, seldom dressed in Gothic flourishes, carry hauntings stitched into stairwells, portraits, back rooms, and recipes that outlasted their authors. I visited a handful, asked servers what they hear after close, watched salt glow on plates while shadows rearranged the walls.
Maybe the chills are real; maybe history is tugging at the room. Either way, the mood seasons every bite. Here are places where dinner comes with whispers, where a creak underfoot and a breeze at your neck feel as precise as a garnish, and memory sits down at the table.
1. Ashley’s Of Rockledge
The wood-paneled walls hum with a strange energy, like the building itself is listening. Diners lean in close, half for conversation, half to keep an ear on the silence.
Ashley’s, once Jack’s Tavern, ties its lore to Ethel Allen, whose spirit reportedly drifts through restrooms and stairwells. Faucets turn on, lights flicker, footsteps echo when no one is there.
I stayed after dessert once, curious about the stairs. The air turned sharply cold, and I left with goosebumps that no latte could shake.
2. O.C. White’s Seafood & Spirits
A briny gust hits as you step in, carrying both oyster shells and the weight of old timbers. Lantern light sets the mood.
Housed in the 1790 Worth House, O.C. White’s layers history with seafood and steaks. Mrs. Worth herself is rumored to appear in mirrors, sometimes crossing balconies or gliding between tables.
Ask staff for their favorite ghost story. Servers often share tales of trays tossed in empty kitchens, and the recounting feels almost rehearsed, as if the house approves.
3. Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille (St. Augustine)
Glasses clink gently in shadowy corners, yet sometimes the sound carries too long, as though someone unseen joins the rhythm. The vibe is moody but welcoming.
St. Augustine is famously haunted, and Harry’s fits easily into that lore. Guests speak of cold drafts, fleeting shadows, and brushes on the shoulder in rooms with no one nearby.
I sat near the stairs at dusk. The lights dimmed, the room quieted, and I swear I saw a figure pause at the landing before fading out.
4. Blue Anchor Pub
A low murmur hangs in the corners, beer foam glowing under dim lamps. Every scrape of a chair sounds sharper than it should.
The Blue Anchor was transported piece by piece from London to Delray Beach, giving the pub centuries of baggage. Stories tell of “Bertha,” a spirit from its original site, still wandering after hours.
Tip: sit along the back wall if you can. It’s where staff report footsteps overhead and where drinks sometimes ripple without reason.
5. Scarlett O’Hara’s
Framed portraits watch from the walls, and the chandeliers cast a glow that feels older than the room. Even laughter can sound hushed here.
Scarlett O’Hara’s in St. Augustine blends Southern cooking with a famously haunted upstairs bar. Patrons have spotted mirrors reflecting figures that aren’t there and glasses shifting across counters.
Linger upstairs before closing. The room empties quickly, and that’s when the sense of being observed creeps into the quiet between clinking glassware.
6. Hard Rock Cafe Key West
Neon guitar lights flash, the soundtrack thrums, yet the air sometimes dips colder than the island breeze outside. The energy is part concert, part séance.
This Hard Rock location, set in a historic Key West home, layers rock memorabilia with ghostly tales. Guests talk about shadows moving behind displays and objects sliding subtly out of place.
I leaned against the wall staring at a guitar case. For a moment, the reflection inside didn’t match the room behind me, and I left unsettled.
7. McGuire’s Irish Pub
Dark wood and green lamps shape a room that feels older than Pensacola itself. The laughter is warm, though sometimes it tapers oddly, like a conversation cut short.
McGuire’s is celebrated for its hearty Irish menu, steaks, shepherd’s pie, and famously strong ale, but it also carries stories of ghostly figures in back rooms and footsteps pacing deserted halls.
Wander near the wine cellar after dinner. Staff say it’s the one place they avoid alone when closing.
8. Seville Quarter
Music drifts down brick hallways, mixing with echoes too faint to belong to the band. Patrons glance toward the upstairs windows as if expecting movement.
This Pensacola landmark, once a cigar and tobacco warehouse, grew into a sprawling entertainment complex. Ghost tours highlight child apparitions, a phantom bartender flipping switches, and shadows slipping across stages.
Join a tour meal. Guides bring EMF detectors and recount sightings mid-course, and the theatrical atmosphere makes the food somehow taste sharper.
9. Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant (Penthouse Lounge)
Salt air brushes through high windows while live jazz murmurs under chandeliers. The penthouse glows with old Florida elegance.
Opened in 1925, Casa Marina has hosted celebrities, survived wartime, and gained a reputation for hauntings. Tales describe children’s laughter in halls, a man in striped pajamas on the second floor, and unexplained chills.
I stopped for a cocktail one evening. The sea looked calm, but a sudden cold gust indoors made me tighten my coat, convinced the building noticed me.
10. TacoLu
The scent of sizzling carnitas fills the air, layered with lime and cilantro so strong it almost masks the stillness hiding in the corners.
Originally a small taco stand, TacoLu grew into a Jacksonville Beach favorite. Alongside brisket and fish tacos, staff and guests trade whispers of odd presences and rooms that suddenly feel watched.
Dine later in the evening when crowds thin. The quieter the dining room, the easier it is to notice those fleeting shadows at the edge of your vision.