One Of America's Most Haunted Restaurants Is In This Coastal South Carolina Town

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The Brentwood Restaurant & Wine Bistro is one of the spookiest destinations in Little River, South Carolina. Its lore has bewitched visitors from all over the world, including the Travel Channel. One of the most haunted restaurants in America, The Brentwood Restaurant relishes its supernatural flair, offering a three course Ghost Dinner and Tour on select Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year for those brave enough to partake. 

Eric and Kimberly Masson, who owned and operated The Brentwood for 15 years, starting in 2007, considered selling the restaurant from the jump (pun intended) after observing kitchen equipment mysteriously starting without any human contact. The couple repeatedly saw inexplicable shadows and sensed a certain ominous air in the bar and front dining room. After what they considered an irrefutable sign — a glass falling from the bar and breaking into smithereens when they moved an old picture in the men's restroom, the husband and wife accepted the help of paranormal investigator Stephen Lancaster, who studied the property for a year. Lancaster called The Brentwood a "Holy Grail" of haunted spaces (via WPDE ABC15).

The Massons and Lancaster are not the only spectators of ghostly antics. The Brentwood Restaurant has published a list of "strange happenings" on its website that describes various eyewitness accounts of paranormal activity occurring on the property. Several witnesses saw a face in the upstairs window when no one was there and floating orbs of light and shadows briefly appearing and disappearing. Disembodied voices have been heard, and patrons have been known to mysteriously get locked in the bathroom. Jane Figueroa, manager and ghost tour hostess, told The Sun News in 2023 that some employees have quit because of the spectral happenings.  

Johnson Lewis/The Brentwood Restaurant & Wine Bistro

What is now Brentwood Restaurant & Wine Bistro, currently owned by Johnson Lewis, originated as a charming Victorian home that was constructed in 1910 by Clarence and Essie Bessent-McCorsley. The couple raised four children there before Clarence died in the late 1940s. Essie remained in the home, operating it as a bed and breakfast for fishermen visiting Little River. As the fishing town became more popular, the property caught the eye of developers. Bessent-McCorsley was approached by hopeful buyers, but she wished to remain in the house her husband had built her. After some negotiation and time, she caved, agreeing to sell the property on the condition the contractors would relocate the Victorian home across the highway at no expense to her. In the 1970's, she and the house made the move. Shortly after, she passed away.

Are all Brentwood's haunted happenings due to Essie Bessent-McCorsley's longing to remain in her residence? While Stephen Lancaster's efforts to discover the true identity of the ghost continue, guests are welcome to enjoy Brentwood's Lowcountry-inspired French cuisine, which include sea bass, filet mignon, and a seven course chef's tasting menu of stuffed lobster, beef tartare, lamb T-bone, lemon sorbet, and wine pairing options. These mouthwatering dishes are reason enough to check your fears at the door and try dining at a restaurant with a resident ghost.