Haunted Places: Eat at Catfish Plantation in Waxahachie, Texas

The slogan on Catfish Plantation's website is "Serving Soul and Spirits," and many diners will agree that at this Waxahachie, Texas restaurant you can have a side of ghostly activity along with your Cajun cuisine. Catfish Plantation claims to be Texas's "Most Haunted Restaurant" and is a popular spot for fans of both fine soul food and people hoping to experience a paranormal dining experience.

Not long after Tom and Mary Baker purchased the property in 1984 they began noticing that things around the house that suggested that something ghostly was happening, such as objects being moved or broken when no one had been around and mysteriously brewed pots of coffee appearing. After the restaurant's opening, people working there also noticed strange lights, figures, and the mysterious moving of items around the kitchen. The Landis family purchased the restaurant in 2007 and delved into the possibility of paranormal activity by bringing in professional ghost researchers. This group of investigators confirmed that the Catfish Plantation was indeed haunted, but that the spirits were not of the evil variety, which would have put a damper on dinner. The ghosts are rumored to be of the home's former residents: Caroline, Elizabeth, and Will. Caroline was an elderly woman who died there. Elizabeth was allegedly murdered on her wedding day at age 20 and Will was a Depression Era farmer.

Today, the Catfish Plantation, located at 814 Water Street in Waxahachie, Texas, is open for lunch and dinner. The hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., but there are special events from time to time, as listed here. Special events include an "After Hours Ghost Hunting Party," an after-hours event featuring actual ghost hunters, and a Superbowl Party. Prices and dates for events change, so visit the website for additional information on reservations and upcoming events. If you are involved with a legitimate paranormal research group and would like to schedule a ghost hunt, there is a link to email Catfish Plantation's Event Coordinator.

Even if you don't encounter a ghost while at the Catfish Plantation, you will come face-to-face with what we in the South might call, "Good eatin'." The lunch menu boasts such items as chicken fried steak, blackened catfish, a Catfish Po' Boy, sweet potato fries, fried pickles, black-eyed peas, fried corn, soups, and salads. On the dinner menu you will find foods that include catfish and shrimp, baked or blackened catfish, stuffed crab, quail, and a New Orleans Platter. There is a "Pee Wee Section" of the menu for children ages 10 and under, and on Sundays between 11 and 4, one child can eat free from this menu with each adult meal purchase. The three entrees on the children's menu are chicken strips, a corn dog, and a catfish filet. Each kid's meal is served with a vegetable and a drink.

If the idea of sampling some fine soul food in the company of some stranded souls sounds like a good time, you should definitely visit the Catfish Plantation in Waxahachie, Texas.

Source:
Cajun Plantation