11 Spooky Looking Massachusetts Restaurants Serving Frighteningly Good Food

Massachusetts dining often delivers more than chowder and pie. Step inside certain rooms and the air feels weighted, as if history hasn’t settled but keeps pacing the floor. The creak beneath your chair, the flicker of a candle, the glance of a portrait following you, these are part of the meal.

I found myself leaning into conversations that softened to whispers, wondering who else might be listening. The food grounds you, warm rolls, hearty pot pies, bowls of cream-rich chowder, but the setting always lifts you into something uncanny.

From Boston’s storied hotels to inns tucked in the Berkshires, these tables serve more than flavor. They offer a brush with the past, the kind that lingers after the last bite.

1. Parker’s Restaurant At Omni Parker House

Chandeliers glow across ornate ceilings, gold trim sparkling as though determined to outshine the stories told about this hotel. Boston Cream Pie was born here, and Parker House Rolls remain a benchmark.

Every plate feels touched by history, as if past guests left approval baked in. The dining room keeps its polished look, but the walls whisper about visitors who never checked out.

I sat under the glitter and thought about ghosts, then reached for dessert. Between pie and shadows, the pie won.

2. Liberty Restaurant & Tap Room At Concord’s Colonial Inn

Tavern tables here lean warm, colonial beams stretching across ceilings that creak with centuries of weight. Burgers, chowder, and prime rib land hearty, not fussy.

This inn dates back to 1716, and legend gives room 24 a haunted reputation. While you eat downstairs, you might imagine footsteps echoing from above.

My advice: sit close to the fire. It steadies the mood, and the food keeps you firmly grounded while your imagination strays upstairs where others swear spirits linger.

3. Longfellow’s Wayside Inn Restaurant

Footsteps on worn wood come before you even find your seat. The air smells of hearth smoke, and the vibe is as old as Sudbury itself.

Prime rib cuts arrive generous, and chicken pot pie remains a favorite. The inn is tied to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s tales, and Jerusha Howe’s legend drifts through its rooms.

I caught myself watching the doorway while eating. Food rooted me, but the suggestion of Jerusha’s presence made me eat faster than usual.

4. Widow Bingham’s Tavern at The Red Lion Inn

The Berkshires roll outside, but inside, the tavern’s glow stays steady under low light. Sandwiches, chowder, and pub-style plates keep tables full.

The inn dates to the 1700s, hosting presidents and writers, and, as many say, spirits. Widow Bingham’s name still echoes after dark.

Visitors talk about figures at the foot of their beds, though I only wrestled with a massive bowl of chowder. The haunting may come later, but the food hits now.

5. Publick House Historic Inn

Tall timbers stretch overhead, the dining room carrying a colonial gravitas that makes every chair scrape louder. The plates, however, are Yankee comfort food at its best: turkey dinners, baked mac, and pies.

This 1771 inn draws diners and ghost hunters alike, each searching for different proof of satisfaction. Paranormal investigators linger in the same rooms where apple crisp lands sweet.

Sturbridge nights feel heavier here. I liked my turkey plate, but I left scanning shadows more carefully than usual.

6. Nathaniel’s At The Hawthorne Hotel

Dining feels elegant, the room dressed in polished wood and gleaming silver. Lobster bisque and seared steaks anchor the menu, while The Tavern next door stays cozier.

The hotel dates to 1925 and carries one of Salem’s richest haunted reputations. Some say the elevator moves on its own, others recall guests they never expected.

I left with the taste of bisque still warm but my eyes on the hall. Nathaniel’s offers refinement that collides with mystery under the same roof.

7. Turner’s Seafood At Lyceum Hall

Brick walls climb high, candles glimmering across a seafood spread. Lobster, scallops, and chowder come fresh and confident.

This building once held a lyceum on Bridget Bishop’s orchard, the first woman executed in Salem’s witch trials. People still tell of her figure brushing past tables.

Order oysters, but leave a glance for the corners. I enjoyed my plate, but the weight of history pressed heavier than any meal could balance.

8. Stone’s Public House

Dark wood frames this pub’s heart, tables packed with locals laughing under dimmed lamps. Burgers, shepherd’s pie, and wings come hearty and quick.

Built in the 1830s, the tavern belonged to John Stone, whose story mixes with tales of gamblers and ghostly apparitions upstairs. Paranormal tours make regular stops.

Ashland nights grew stranger after my pint, but the food grounded me. A plate of wings may not silence ghosts, but it makes them easier to face.

9. The Sun Tavern

White clapboard walls surround you, farmhouse beams crossing ceilings that date back to 1741. The vibe is refined without losing rustic roots.

Menus lean seasonal: rack of lamb, seafood pasta, and New England staples plated with care. Guests linger over wine while shadows seem to stretch longer near the windows.

I felt the age of the house in every corner. The food made me linger, but the idea of resident spirits reminded me not to stay too late.

10. Old Yarmouth Inn

Cape Cod winds lead you to one of the oldest inns in the region, its dining rooms still holding the creak of centuries.

Seafood dominates: baked stuffed haddock, lobster ravioli, clam chowder. Steaks join the list for those craving turf over surf. The kitchen honors tradition without losing modern touch.

I left full, but with a sense that someone else had shared the table. Old Yarmouth Inn blends coastal flavor with legends that don’t leave when you do.

11. Storrowton Tavern & Carriage House

Inside the Eastern States Exposition village, this tavern looks straight from another century. Wood beams, candlelit tables, and a fireplace lock you in a different era.

The menu covers New England fare: pot roast, chowder, and turkey dinners. The building even hosts ghost tours, leaning into its reputation with pride.

I came for the food, and the roast filled me well. But when the tour began, I realized dinner was just the start of the night’s chills.