Merchant’s Cafe and Saloon

On a rainy Monday afternoon, around 20 people wearing rain jackets gather outside the three-story brick building at 109 Yesler Way in Pioneer Square.

“It’s the oldest restaurant in Seattle,” a woman, likely a tour guide, states about Merchant’s, located on the first floor. A metal plaque near the entrance notes that the 1890 saloon is "Seattle’s oldest continuously-used restaurant" and retains "most of its original interior."

Inside, yellow-stained glass chandeliers, pressed metal ceilings, and antique-style artwork make this easy to believe, although modern sports games are shown on several flat-screen TVs.

Merchant’s embraces its haunted reputation, with ghost stories featured on its website and a binder full of reported spooky incidents kept behind the bar. It has even been investigated on paranormal TV shows like “The Dead Files.”

Staff member Najet Atouani mentioned that customers often share their own spooky experiences or show photo evidence of them.

“Later in the night when I’m alone, I definitely don’t go downstairs to use the restroom,” Atouani said. “I keep the lights on until the last minute.”

Merchant’s opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. It’s also a stop on the annual Seattle Halloween bar crawl organized by Crawl With Us, scheduled for October 27 and 28 this year.