HOUSTON — If you’re looking for a haunt that may or may not be haunted, pull up a chair at La Carafe.
"It’s the oldest bar in Houston and it’s in the oldest freestanding commercial building in Houston," said Megan O'Brien, the bar's manager. "It was opened in the 1840s as a bakery."
A plaque out front lets you read about the history of the building, but you can really feel it inside.
"The history is palpable for sure," O'Brien said.
You can soak it all in at the bar, which is made with wood planks estimated to be about 150 years old and tattooed with the names of long-gone regulars.
From there, you’ll notice the details: The exposed brick, the old clock and vintage register, even an old-fashioned jukebox.
La Carafe’s unique vibe extends upstairs, where the walls are dotted with stained glass windows and antique art and the doors open to a second-floor balcony overlooking Market Square.
"It’s kind of a great place to be," said O'Brien.
Maybe that's why stories suggest some patrons linger even after they've left their mortal homes. The bar is said to be one of the most haunted spots in downtown Houston.
"Those are the rumors," O'Brien said. "I think most people working here have had some sort of experience. Not everyone’s comfortable talking about it, but, yeah, those are the rumors."
The living clientele generates interesting stories too.
"Some nights, the club is jumping. Some nights, it’s old-school country folk," said O'Brien. "We get people who have been coming here since the ‘60s who come back and tell stories that I can’t repeat."
She added that La Carafe is a place where everyone’s welcome.
"It’s special. It’s not like going to some fluorescent cubicle and punching your time clock or whatever," O'Brien stressed. "You get to come over here and talk to interesting, different people from all over the world every day."
Currently, the patio’s only open on Friday and Saturday nights, but O'Brien said she hopes to change that to seven days a week soon. The bar also hosts food trucks every Sunday.
For more information about La Carafe, click here.