In the bustling heart of Chicago's Loop, where office workers rush past on lunch breaks and tourists navigate the grid of downtown streets, the Exchequer Restaurant has been a neighborhood institution for over five decades. Known for its deep-dish pizza, extensive beer selection, and old-school Chicago atmosphere, it's the kind of place where regulars have their favorite booths and the staff knows your order before you sit down.
But the Exchequer occupies a building that predates the restaurant by nearly a century. The structure's thick walls and basement levels have witnessed Chicago's transformation from a rough frontier town to a modern metropolis. And through all those years of history, certain presences seem to have remained.
Staff members closing late at night report hearing conversations and laughter from empty dining rooms. Glasses move on their own. And some tables seem to attract mysterious diners who appear solid and real until they simply vanish between courses.
At the Exchequer, it seems, some patrons loved the place so much they never really left.
The History of the Exchequer Building
The building that houses the Exchequer Restaurant dates to the 1880s, part of the rapid reconstruction that followed the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The structure was built to serve the Loop's growing business district, housing various commercial enterprises over the decades.
A Loop Landmark
The building's location on Wabash Avenue placed it in the heart of Chicago's commercial district during a period of explosive growth. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area buzzed with activity as Chicago transformed into America's second city.
The building's lower levels, now housing the restaurant and bar, originally served various purposes - at different times hosting a saloon, offices, storage facilities, and other businesses. The thick walls and solid construction helped it survive the various fires, economic crashes, and urban transformations that reshaped downtown Chicago.
During Prohibition, like many buildings in the Loop, it's believed to have connections to speakeasies and bootlegging operations. The building's basement, with its low ceilings and maze-like layout, would have been perfect for illicit alcohol operations. Some paranormal researchers believe that the violence and secrecy of the Prohibition era left spiritual imprints that persist today.
The Exchequer Era
In 1969, the Exchequer Pub opened in the building, bringing deep-dish pizza and a casual dining atmosphere to the Loop. The restaurant quickly became popular with office workers, lawyers from nearby courthouses, and anyone seeking good food and cold beer in a no-nonsense Chicago setting.
Over the decades, the Exchequer has maintained its old-school character while the Loop changed around it. The restaurant's dark wood, vintage decor, and classic Chicago menu have made it a favorite of locals who remember when downtown was grittier and more authentic.
But even as the restaurant created its own history, strange occurrences began to accumulate - experiences that suggested the building's earlier inhabitants hadn't entirely moved on.
The Ghosts of the Exchequer
The paranormal activity at the Exchequer is remarkably consistent, with staff members across different eras reporting similar experiences. Unlike some hauntings that seem random or chaotic, the phenomena here suggest the presence of specific spirits with their own routines and preferences.
The Regular at Table Seven
Servers at the Exchequer know to be careful around Table Seven, a booth in the back corner of the dining room. While it looks like any other table, staff and patrons have reported seeing a man in old-fashioned clothing - typically described as wearing a suit and fedora from the 1940s or 1950s - sitting alone at this table.
He appears completely solid and real, sometimes with a drink in front of him, gazing toward the front of the restaurant as if waiting for someone. Servers who approach to take his order find the booth suddenly empty. Other times, patrons sitting at adjacent tables report seeing him out of the corner of their eye, only to turn and find no one there.
Some long-time staff members believe he's the ghost of a regular customer from decades past, perhaps someone who spent so many hours at that particular booth that he can't imagine being anywhere else. Others speculate he might date to an earlier use of the building, still waiting for a meeting or rendezvous that never happened.
Interestingly, patrons seated at Table Seven often report feeling a presence, as if they're sharing the booth with an invisible companion. Some find it comforting, others unnerving enough to request a different table.
The Basement Activity
The Exchequer's basement, used for storage and housing the restaurant's extensive beer cellar, is the epicenter of paranormal activity. Staff members making late-night runs to retrieve supplies report:
- Hearing footsteps following them through the basement corridors
- Seeing shadow figures moving between the storage racks
- Experiencing sudden, dramatic temperature drops
- Hearing voices or laughter with no identifiable source
- Finding items moved or rearranged overnight
- Feeling an overwhelming sense of being watched
The basement's low ceilings and dim lighting create an inherently eerie atmosphere, but the phenomena reported go far beyond imagination or nerves. Multiple staff members have refused to go down there alone, and even skeptical employees admit to feeling uneasy in certain areas.
Some researchers believe the basement activity might be connected to the building's Prohibition-era past. If the space was used for illegal alcohol operations, it may have witnessed violence, fear, and death - emotions that paranormal theory suggests can create lasting spiritual disturbances.
The Closing Time Conversations
Perhaps the most commonly reported phenomenon at the Exchequer occurs after the restaurant closes for the night. Staff members cleaning up and closing the dining room consistently report hearing the sounds of a busy restaurant:
- Conversations and laughter from empty booths
- The clink of glasses and silverware when all dishes have been cleared
- Chairs scraping as if being pulled out from tables
- The sound of footsteps walking across the floor
When staff members investigate, they find the dining room empty and silent. But as soon as they return to their closing duties, the phantom sounds resume. It's as if the restaurant's past crowds continue their eternal evening out, invisible but audible.
Some employees have reported actually seeing translucent or shadowy figures in booths during these episodes - groups of people engaged in conversation, raising glasses in toasts, completely unaware of or unconcerned about the living staff working around them.
The Mischievous Spirit
Not all the paranormal activity at the Exchequer feels like residual haunting. Some phenomena suggest the presence of an intelligent, playful entity:
- Glasses sliding across the bar when no one is near them
- Lights turning on and off, particularly in the restrooms
- Doors opening and closing on their own
- Items disappearing and reappearing in unlikely places
- Equipment malfunctions that resolve themselves mysteriously
Staff members have nicknamed this presence "Eddie," though no one knows if that was actually the spirit's name in life. Eddie seems to be particularly active when the restaurant is busy, as if feeding off the energy of the crowd. Bartenders have learned to speak to Eddie, asking him to stop when the pranks become disruptive - and report that this sometimes actually works.
While Eddie's tricks can be annoying, staff generally view this spirit as benign. Some longtime employees even find the activity comforting, a reminder that the Exchequer has a history and character that transcends any single era or group of employees.
The Woman in the Mirror
In the women's restroom, several patrons and staff members have reported seeing a woman standing behind them when they look in the mirror - but when they turn around, no one is there. She's typically described as middle-aged, wearing clothing from the 1970s or 1980s, with a sad or concerned expression.
Unlike some of the other phenomena, these encounters feel more personal and emotional. Witnesses often report feeling a wave of sadness or melancholy when seeing her reflection. Some have described feeling as if she's trying to communicate something, though what message she might have remains unclear.
The identity of this spirit is unknown, though some speculate she might be connected to a tragedy that occurred in or near the building. Her persistent presence in the mirror suggests she's trying to bridge the gap between her world and ours, using the reflective surface as a window between realms.
Dining at the Exchequer Today
The Exchequer Restaurant continues to serve its classic Chicago menu to hungry locals and curious visitors. Whether you're there for the deep-dish pizza, the extensive beer selection, or the old-school Loop atmosphere, you're experiencing a genuine piece of Chicago history.
And if you notice something odd - a shadow in a booth that shouldn't be occupied, the sound of conversation from an empty corner, or a glass that moves when no one touched it - don't be alarmed. You're just experiencing the Exchequer's other regulars, the permanent patrons who've been dining here longer than anyone can remember.
The Exchequer Restaurant is located at 226 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago's Loop. Stop by for lunch or dinner, and maybe you'll encounter more than just great food - you might just share a meal with Chicago's past.
A Loop institution with spirits as permanent as the menu
Where phantom diners still occupy their favorite booths
