The Haunted Pennsylvania Restaurant That Was Once A Morgue

The spirits of Scranton, Pennsylvania, apparently have exquisite taste for Italian fare. AV Restaurant & Lounge, established in 2017, occupies a building steeped in history. During the 1918 influenza epidemic, the basement functioned as a morgue. Decades earlier, the address was the site of R. Schoenfield's undertaker and coffin business, according to a 1879 Scranton city directory. Over the years, the property has also housed a dry goods store as well as an Irish tavern called The Banshee Pub.

Food Network has named AV Pennsylvania's most haunted restaurant, a title that draws curious travelers from near and far. General Manager Julie Thomas shares that staff and diners have encountered shadows, sudden chills, and phantom footsteps. Among the most hair-raising tales are sightings of a tall man in a black overcoat who lingers silently at the bottom of the staircase before vanishing; a young girl in white, often seen climbing toward the third floor; and a disturbing episode from the building's pub years, when an employee emerged from the basement with what appeared to be a human bite on her shoulder.

"Guests sometimes ask us outright if we believe the place is haunted," Thomas tells Mashed. While there's no definitive answer, she recalls the days before the restaurant opened: "We were here late, finishing up last-minute touches and could hear what sounded like children running back and forth upstairs in the banquet room, even though no one was up there."

AV balances its ghostly history with a modern, Italian, influenced menu shaped by seasonality. Thomas notes, "From pasta to meat to seafood to Italian classics, everything on the menu is designed to shine. Whether you're in the mood for something familiar or something bold and seasonal, there's a dish that will hit the mark." House-made pastas are a crowd favorite, especially the ever-changing agnolotti — a traditional stuffed pasta that has become AV's signature.

Entrées include salmon drizzled with jalapeño-infused tzatziki, filet mignon crowned with gorgonzola compound butter and black garlic bordelaise, swordfish smothered in a bright green salmoriglio marinade, juicy pork chops, and pan-seared duck breast served with crispy potato pavé and sauce bigarade — a classic French sauce made with slightly bitter oranges. "Our drinks are just as intentional, whether it's a crafted cocktail or a house favorite like the pear martini," Thomas explains. The beverage list also features Old World wines, craft beers, and local brews.

Plenty of visitors arrive intrigued by AV's spectral reputation but leave remembering the warmth of the evening. "We'll get people who say, 'I just wanted to see the haunted restaurant,'" Thomas says, "but then, they're planning their next reservation before they leave." Captivated by its stories or the dishes on the table, those who enter AV Restaurant & Lounge take with them an unforgettable feeling — perhaps both literally and metaphorically. The building's past is present in the walls, yet the space feels vibrant, inviting, and unmistakably alive.