Haunted Castle Cafe in Plano
Haunted Castle in Plano is the first dedicated haunted house oriented restaurant and bar in Texas, and one of the few in the world. It opened this August and is located in west Plano, along the Dallas North Tollway access road, just south of Park Blvd. It is heavily decorated and has two main dining areas, plus a bar. The exterior has been made to resemble a castle and has Halloween decorations close to the front entrance. When you walk into the restaurant, the waiting area is well decorated and has a view of the main dining area and bar. A short hallway leads to the second dining room, which is also well decorated. The look of this place is it’s strong point. There are no bare parts of walls or empty spaces. Every bit of Haunted Castle has been decorated, for the most part well decorated. The haunted house ambience is one of a kind and appeals to both adults and kids.
The main complaints from customers and reviewers are the unevenness of service and the quality and cost of food. The menu is limited and pricey for a place like this. Food quality isn’t great, but it’s good enough, considering that no one comes here just to eat. The food is well presented, but the portions are not large. The waitstaff dresses in Halloween costumes and is pretty attentive, but they are a bit overworked. The kitchen can fall behind at peak hours, so going to Haunted Castle Monday through Thursday is probably a better bet. If you go on Friday, try to arrive before 6, and mid afternoon Saturday is a good time.
The bar is the best decorated part of Haunted Castle. The seating at the bar itself is a little cramped so you may want to sit at the tables on either side of the bar. The side tables offer a better view of the main dining area and light show that comes on a few times per hour is best viewed from the bar. The drinks menu has quite a few Halloween themed drinks, plus beer and wine. I wasn’t thrilled with the size of the specialty martinis, but the bar was so cool looking that I overlooked skimping on alcohol. If you go to the bar on weekends, be prepared to wait. One bartender is on duty at a time, with the entire restaurant to make drinks for, as well as bar customers.
Haunted Castle is sort of like going to a theme park. It’s overpriced given the quality of food and drinks, but it’s an event that you probably won’t attend often. This is definitely not a place to go to regularly, but it’s fun to see occasionally. It is a one of a kind Halloween experience, so ignore the minor growing pains and check it out this Halloween season.
Haunted Castle Cafe can be booked for private events, such as birthday parties and corporate events.
Location: 1900 Dallas Pkwy, Plano, TX 75093
Phone: (972) 803-6429
Site: hauntedcastlecafe.com
Hours:
Monday 4pm-11pm
Tuesday through Sunday 11am-11pm
