CT's 10 Most-Haunted Wing Joints

In the years following the American Revolution, Connecticut passed laws designed to keep people from spending too much time at the bar. If you stayed longer than an hour (unless conducting business) you were arrested for being a “tavern haunter.” Your name would be posted around town and you were banned from entering another tavern during a probationary period.

Under those old laws Doni, Wingchef Ryan and I would have made America’s Most Wanted list by now. We’ve definitely encountered ghost peppers frequently during our wing adventures but we’ve also discovered some places in the state that are actually said to be “haunted” by actual ghosts.  Do you believe?

Halloween is the perfect time to blog about the “Ten Most Haunted Wing Joints in Connecticut.” 

Some of these haunted spots are considered “elite” in the chicken wing game and are part of our official Connecticut Wing Trail. Others have excellent wings and flavor selections and a few simply serve Buffalo style wings but are ghostly enough to make the list. One doesn’t have wings at all, but needed to be included. You’ll soon see why!

#1 Roberto’s Real American Tavern (East Windsor) In an historic 1784 building that was formerly known as the Jon Pasco House and a restaurant known as Jonathan Pasco’s right up until 2015, Roberto’s is a happening spot in East Windsor that’s worth a trip from anywhere. A local favorite for its outstanding pub fare and dinner cuisine, Roberto's does have ten great flavors of sauces and rubs on its chicken wing menu including all your favorite traditional flavors. It’s said to be haunted by Jon Pasco himself, a US Army captain from the American Revolution. Pasco’s young daughters died of small pox in the upstairs bedroom and employees frequently hear the kids laughing, playing and running around on the floor upstairs. There have been multiple reports of a ghost of a tall thin old man believed to be Captain Pasco, as well as a ghostly “lady in white." Employees tell of cold spots and doors opening and closing, and owner Robert D’Eliseo promises, “When I took over this place, I wasn’t a big believer in that stuff. But I am now. It’s totally legit.” He also claims that the Pasco family spirits love the wings there! 

#2 J Timothy’s Taverne (Plainville) Every Connecticut wing aficionado knows about J.Tim’s. It’s a top-five wing spot on anybody’s list and the originator of the (now world famous) Dirt Wings. The building itself was erected in 1789 as a large house and tavern which was then purchased by John Cooke in 1795 for 36 pounds (the US dollar was minted later that year). John’s son George Cooke took over the bar and lived on premises for the next 93 years. The building remained in the Cooke family during three centuries, becoming a full service restaurant called Cooke’s Tavern in 1934. 

In 1979, Jim Welch and Tim Adams purchased the property keeping the Cooke’s name until 1988 when they changed it up to J. Timothy’s Tavern (a combination of their two names). The famous Dirt Wings were born in the early 90’s when the pitcher for their employee softball team (nicknamed “Dirt” because he was the oldest player on the team . . . old as dirt) was so busy talking and telling stories after the ballgames that his wings always got cold. He’d ask to have them dropped back in the fryer to get a warm up, and then be re-sauced. They came out better! Soon everybody would say, “I want my wings like Dirt.” And the sensation was born. 

All of this, of course, was witnessed by the ghost of John Cooke’s wife who is said to still haunt the Taverne. There aren’t a bunch of actual  “sightings," but many employees hear unexplained bumps and bangs and whistles late night after hours when the building is quiet. Whenever anything strange happens the employees smile and blame it on Mrs Cooke!

#3 Old Well Tavern (Simsbury) Built during British rule back in the 1730’s, right around the year George Washington was born, Old Well Tavern in Simsbury didn’t become an actual “tavern” until 1866 when it began operating as a stagecoach stop and roadhouse known as Old Knights Inn. 

During the 1880’s the Higley family took it over and turned it into a tavern/ brothel. Legend has it that one of the Higley’s relatives named Seth died in the tavern during a major snowstorm. The ground outside was too frozen to bury his body so they burried Seth in the basement. He’s still there! 

After Prohibition in 1916, the name was changed to The King Philip Diner until 1935 when Arnold Daden and his wife purchased the building and named it The Old Well. Over the last 90 years its been Hopmeadow, The Inn Place, Gemini’s Cafe, The Lobster Barn, Reno’s Gathering Place, and finally back to the Old Well Tavern owned and operated by Frank Cardoso and Erika Lange for 16 years. In 2025, the restaurant was again renovated and taken over by the tag team of Shawn Skehan, Scott and Jenna Ziskin, and Scott and Natalie DuBois who are committed to providing the same elite wing game. The wing selection is superb with an extensive flavor menu along with killer weekly specials. We consider Old Well to be among the Top 25 wing destinations on the state. 

Long time patrons and staff members claim to have encountered the ghost of Seth along with the tortured spirit a prostitute who committed suicide upstairs in the one-time brothel. We actually went down to the basement and had wings with the ghost of Seth. He’s a good dude! Oh, and if you ask for the XXX Widowmaker wings, they may actually be the most unholy spiritual experience of your lifetime. I needed a full holy water cleanse after eating just one. 

#4 Abigail's Grille and Wine Bar (Simsbury) Just a few miles to the south of Old Well Tavern is another former post-war stagecoach stop called Abigail’s. This building dates back to 1780. The original Pettibone Tavern was opened by John Pettibone whose father had been a soldier killed in the American Revolution. The building has also has had many identities over the past 200 years and became the popular Abigail’s Grille and Wine Bar in 2008. 

The restaurant’s namesake, Abigail Pettibone is said to haunt the building having been murdered there by her husband John. Legend has it that he caught his wife in bed with another man and killed them both with an axe in what is now the upstairs Ladies Room. Her ghost has been spotted frequently by both employees and customers over the years, but some people are apprehensive to speak about it. There’s an actual canvas painting of Abigail in the reception area that had to be restored after her murderous husband took a knife and cut her face out. And while you’re more likely to be spotted eating rack of lamb or the 18oz veal chop with a glass of Chianti at this award-winning restaurant they do have Buffalo wings on the appetizer menu and they're damned good! 

#5 Captain Daniel Packer Inne (Mystic) One of the more well-known paranormal spots in the state, this Inne (middle English spelling) was built by American colonist Captain Daniel Packer back in 1756 before the Revolutionary War. The recently restored Inne overlooks the Mystic River and has become a classic New England style pub where you can get whatever “spirits” you fancy. Packer himself is said to still patrol the third floor of the building where his footsteps are commonly heard among patrons and employees alike. Many, including paranormal investigators, claim to have seen the ghost of a young girl, believed to be Packer’s great granddaughter Ada Clift who died from scarlet fever at age seven while living at the Inne. There have been several reported specters on the property but Ada’s ghost is the most prominent being tied to poltergeist activity and mischief. The bathroom door on that third floor has been known to close and lock itself when Ada “gets upset." 

The Inne was restored by Richard and Lulu Kiley in the 1980's who have run it for the past forty-plus years. While not renowned for its chicken wing game, the Inne does serve Captain Packer’s Honey Chipotle wings with a lime sour cream. After you try those, ask for the house journal so you can record your other-worldly experience among those of past guests. 

#6 Harrie’s Jailhouse (Middletown) This Middletown, CT restaurant only opened in 2021, but is said to be haunted by a child named Sarah from back in the 1800’s. The historic building was built back in the 1850’s and was an actual jailhouse. The Ghost Hunters came through and filmed and episode in the building around 2013, but weren’t able to conjure up little Sarah that night. If they come back today they can scare up some amazing wings instead. Two local friends, Heather Kelly and Carrie Carella, who had worked together at Eli Cannon’s in town, partnered up and opened Harrie’s (a combination of their first names) back during the Covid Pandemic. They have created a classic bar/restaurant that serves excellent pub fare including six flavors of chicken wings. Carrie has moved on, but Heather is there preserving the “friendly” spirits of the place!

#7 Twisted Vine (Derby) Known as one of the “Most Haunted Restaurants” in the Northeast, and featured on numerous paranormal programs, the Twisted Vine is definitely not considered a wing joint. Just down Rt 34 from the famous Dew Drop Inn, one of CT’s absolute best wing destinations, TV simply has Buffalo wings on the menu which is good enough for us. The historic building was formerly the Birmingham National Bank, with the name still chiseled in the stone covering the entire front of the building (along with the year 1892). You’re welcomed into this Italian dinner venue by entering in under a maroon awning that reads Twisted Vine Restaurant. 

The restaurant takes advantage of its paranormal reputation by hosting many “haunting” events during the year. Owner Mike Picone confesses that they frequently hear voices and see apparitions in the restaurant. It is believed that the building is haunted by the ghost of Samual Lessey who worked as a bank cashier there in 1913 and committed suicide after approving a forged check. The bank was also used as a temporary morgue after a 1955 hurricane uprooted caskets buried in the Union Cemetery in Seymour.

#8 1754 House (Woodbury) Connecticut's oldest operating Inn was built "before 1736" by Anthony Stoddard, from one of Woodbury's first settling families. It started as the Evergreen Inn for many years and then became the Curtis House for many more. The restaurant was featured on a TV episode of Hotel Hell, where Gordon Ramsay claimed to encounter a ghost named Betty who was said to be haunting Room 16 at the Inn. Chef Michael Bates-Walsh purchased and completely renovated the property in 2020, and has spun 1754 House into one of the best restaurants in the state. Downstairs from the main dining room, you will find the Flat Five Blues Tavern and a small selection of gourmet artisan wings on the menu. We’re not sure if chef brought in the Ghostbusters or not, but there hasn't been much ghostly activity witnessed over his five years at the helm. The only thing "other-worldly" now is the food there! But we’d still keep an eye on Room 16. Wink.

#9 The Market Place Tavern (Litchfield) In the building that was once The Old Litchfield Jail, this three-story bar/ restaurant opened in 2019 right in the heart of Litchfield. Employees and patrons swear that they’ve seen ghosts fly by. It’s actually the oldest public building in the town of Litchfield and one of the oldest prisons in the state, built during The War of 1812 to hold British prisoners. Night time can get a little spooky with strange unexplained voices and even images of a man in a top hat have been reported. Unsubstantiated rumors tell of secret underground tunnels and the restaurant stairs lead down to an area that was solitary confinement where shadows are frequently spotted. The prison closed as late as 1992 and became a treatment center for men serving prison sentences and then closed again before becoming a rehab center for women facing incarceration. Today, it’s more like a cool historical spot for Wingaddicts like us to sit among the steel bars and feed our chicken wing habit while talking of ghosts and enjoying local spirits! 

#10 Saybrook Fish House (Canton) This place isn’t even a wing joint. It’s a fish house. In fact, they don’t even serve wings but instead offer “Boneless Wings of Fire.” However, it’s built directly on the property that was originally The Dan Case Tavern during the American Revolutionary War in 1776 and is a hot topic among local historians and cryptid enthusiasts.  Along the intersection where Rt 202 from Hartford connects with the Albany Turnpike, legend has it that a frenchman headed to Saratoga, NY - carrying saddlebags full of gold to pay French soldiers who fought in the American Revolution - stopped at the Tavern for a one-night’s stay. He is never seen or heard from again. Search parties fail to locate the man and locals become convinced that he was killed for his gold. Years later, children playing at nearby Secret Pond find the skeleton of a horse, pieces of saddlebag and "unique" horseshoes. 

Over the course of the next century, Case's Tavern becomes the Hosford Inn and in 1874 it catches fire and burns to the ground unearthing a headless human skeleton buried in the basement rubble. 

Over the years that follow, stories spread of sightings of a "Headless Horseman" traveling west on Albany Turnpike. The black stallion's eyes are said to be "ablaze" but the horse and rider are silent and not aggressive. 

Several different accounts of such encounters continued over the years and have been documented in Canton historical town records. It’s interesting that Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” had been written just 40 years earlier and the infamous Ichabod Crane was also a CT Revolutionary War soldier. Hmmm.

We stopped by late one night, with hay and sugar cubes, but didn't see anything. We didn't got into the restaurant at all  . . .  because while there is evidence of a spiritual realm, there's definitely no such thing as boneless wings!

Honorable Mentions: 

Transilvania Restaurant & Bar (East Haven) Built in 1655 - yes, you heard that right - this landmark was initially a forge for CT’s first ironworks called The Old Mill. (I wonder if it was named The Old Mill when it was new?) After 50 years, iron had been depleted in the area and The Old Mill became a carding and fulling mill for preparation of home spun cloth. A century-and-a-half later in 1855 it became a grist mill until 1915 when it transitioned into various enterprises such as a tea room, an antique shop, a computer store and a coffee house. Today, Chris and Alina Caldarario  - a Romanian husband and wife team - has opened the Transilvania Restaurant and Bar to bring their authentic Romanian cuisine to the state. And YES, in addition to an eye-popping bar and dinner menu, they have wings in five flavor choices as well! We’re not sure if this place is haunted in any way, but come on! It’s Halloween and it’s the Transilvania Restaurant and Bar! Calling Dr Frankenwings! It’s ALIVE! 

The Warren House .  . . The actual house in Monroe where world-renowned paranormal experts Ed & Lorraine Warren lived (along with their haunted “Occult Museum,” including the super creepy Annabel doll) was recently leased out by two local businessmen, Matt Rife and Elton Castee, and turned into a haunted AirBnb for public tours and overnight stays. Obviously it’s not a wing joint (not even a restaurant) but we attempted to set up a lunch visit and bring our own ghostly wings. Amazingly, they’re already sold out every day through the summer of 2026! Maybe we dodged a bullet on that one. That may have been a bridge too far.

Whether you believe in spirits or the supernatural, we all believe a little bit during the Halloween season. We all hear bumps in the night and swear we catch glimpses of unexplainable shadows in the night. One thing we an all agree on though is that,  haunted or not, some places are just fun to visit to soak up the history. 

And the wings!

Tommy Wyatt is co-founder of Wingaddicts and author of  this “Under the Wingfluence" blog. He can be reached directly by email at tommy@wingaddicts.com 

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