New Interactive Murder Mystery Debuts at Central El Paso Haunted Themed Restaurant
Paranormal enthusiasts looking for a scary good steak dinner with a side of mystery can take their boo to a Central El Paso haunt that’s getting rave reviews for both.
Monteleone’s Haunted Motel Themed Restaurant is a motel-themed Italian steakhouse where one can have dinner while participating in a murder mystery.
The Dinner Theater Dining Experience
Located around the corner from the equally haunted Monteleone's Ristorante on San Marcial Street, seating at Gary Monteleone's latest concept eatery is equally limited.
Like the ristorante, the Haunted Motel Restaurant is also in a converted home. Therefore “motel guests” are required to book a dinner reservation in advance. It's only open on Fridays and Saturdays, and the menu is predetermined.
The dining experience includes a little bit of Hollywood in the form of a murder mystery put on by The Bellhop Players; server/actors who entertain during dinner. The play changes quarterly.
Okay, It's Not Really a Motel But Is It Really Haunted?
I reached out to owner Gary Monteleone to find out more about the paranormal goings-on he’s experienced at his newest restaurant.
If anyone knows first-hand about sharing space with the dead who don't want you there, it’s owner Gary Monteleone. Especially after everything he, his wife, and employees have gone through for years at his other restaurant, Monteleone's Ristorante, which you can read about in this Haunted El Paso article.
The original plan, Monteleone told me, was to buy the property and use it as a parking lot for Monteleone’s Ristorante, which is located around the corner from the property. But Gary ended up really liking the 1920’s era home deciding it was “way too pretty to tear down,” and instead remodeled it and moved in.
And that’s when the Eerie Engineer made its presence known.
‘He’ worked for Union Pacific Railroad and originally owned the home. According to Monteleone, the psychic medium he consulted when the paranormal activity became too much told him the man lived and died in that home and did not want them there.
“He was terrible. You would hear noises and [then] see static electricity like what you see in the dark [when you rub] a balloon going back and forth in the bedroom,” Gary recounted.
After making the decision to move out of the house and convert it into a restaurant, Gary said another spirit literally showed up.
“We were taking pictures for the city when we were going for commercial zoning, and when we were taking photos of the different rooms we got a clear picture of [a lady] right by the staircase.”
According to Gary, the apparition appeared to be floating and you could make out enough of the ghostly specter to notice it didn't have feet.
The New Murder Mystery
Join in on the reading of the Last Will & Testament of Jake Slanders. Family and friends will be lurking nearby to get their piece of the pie-- but beware because being greedy has murderous consequences
“The Rumoured Will” is the latest murder mystery which runs through September. Book a reservation if you’re up for a different kind of date night.
You just might get it served up with a side of scares.