Something Spooky in Waxahatchie, Texas

Mr. Ghost in the Dining Room with the Butter Knife It is a very remarkable occasion for one to visit a haunted house and actually get to experience the paranormal first hand. I, along with the help of a few ghosts, have been fortunate enough to have such an episode. If you have never had the privilege to have Sunday lunch at the haunted Catfish Plantation in Waxahachie, Texas, you are certainly missing out on some fantastic Southern home cooking. From the cornmeal battered fried catfish to the saw mill gravy-slathered chicken fried steak that is just a wee bit shy of the size of a Frisbee, there is certainly enough fare to whet anyone’s whistle. Not only does the Catfish Plantation take pride in its enticing food, but it is also very boastful of its resident spirits Will, Caroline, and Elizabeth. If you don’t have a chance to get acquainted with the three, you can certainly purchase an Elizabeth inspired t-shirt just inside the front entrance.

As for my ghostly encounter, it occurred as my travel companions and I were waiting patiently for our Southern fried feast. I had decided to change seating positions with my husband due to my toddler being…well, a toddler. After I sat down, I picked up his tea-soaked spoon from between the fork and knife in front of me and exchanged the used spoon for the clean one that had previously been mine. We all continued to chat and nibble on hush puppies until the waitress arrived with our plates. After Lissa sat down my plate of fried shrimp and catfish, I spent several moments playing doctor with the ketchup and the seasonings. When I went to pick up my knife and fork to cut into my fish, I realized that my knife was no longer lying on the napkin in front of me. I asked everyone at the table if they had seen or had confiscated my knife. With everyone being completely flabbergasted, I took to an uneventful search of the floor. Giving up, I leaned over to grab the knife from the vacant place setting next to me and yet again discovered that the same utensil had gone astray.

Thinking no more about the missing silverware, we finished our meal and promptly arranged for a tour of the house. According to Ryan Rodriguez, one of the restaurant’s owners, the house was built in 1895 and has seen its share of fires, deaths, and levitating fryer baskets. When news of the haunting acquired publicity, the house was featured on a variety of television news stations, an episode of “A Current Affair”, as well as the 2003 season premier of the animated “King of the Hill.” Quite impressed, I avidly asked Mr. Rodriguez the specifics in regards to the paranormal activity that commonly occurs in the building. He revealed goings-ons such as mysteriously stacked coffee cups, apparitions, cold spots, eerie footprints in a flour dusted kitchen floor, as well as…missing silverware.

Completely taken aback, I relayed my dining experience with Mr. Rodriguez and he confirmed that it was most likely the antics of one of the spirit inhabitants. Containing my excitement, the tour wrapped up and I snapped the last series of photographs. Taking a final look around, I exited the house knowing that on that particular day, the notorious ghosts of the Catfish Plantation preferred that I eat my fried catfish like a true Southerner…with my fingers.

You can find more information on the Catfish Plantation by logging onto their website at www.catfishplantation.com. Restaurant hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00am until 9:00pm, while closing at 8:00pm on Sundays. Children eat for free on Sundays as well. Reservations can be made by calling (972)-937-9468.

(This article was originally published by Carey Weeks in Louisiana Road Trips Magazine)