Mesilla, New Mexico - Stabbed Lovers Haunted Restaurant

The haunted Double Eagle Restaurant is a large adobe building located on the historic Mesilla plaza where the Gadsden Purchase was finalized when Mexico turned the land purchased over to the United States. It's listed on the National Historic Register and is a shock to enter. You are met with sparkling baccarat crystal chandeliers, beautiful antique art, sculptures, and paintings. The restaurant offers aged steaks from the only aging room in the state.

The kicker is the building is haunted by two teenage ghost lovers, a la Romeo and Juliet. This couple is named Armando and Inez, but the story is very familiar. Armando, scion of a wealthy family, and Inez one of many maids employed by the family fall in love. The romance is discovered by the very class conscious Mother, who quickly fires Inez and sends her from the house. Mother forbids Armando from seeing Inez but, do teenage boys listen to their mother? The whole village conspires to support the young lovers but, one unlucky day, Mother comes home early unexpectedly and finds Armando and Inez in Armando's bedroom. Mother is so outraged she grabs her sewing shears and stabs Inez to death. In the struggle, she stabs her own son, Armando. Armando dies three days later and -- according to the locals -- he dies not of his wounds but of a broken heart. But, the important thing is that he dies because now there are not one but two ghosts haunting the building.

The employees and some customers of the restaurant have tales to tell about their encounters with the ghosts of Armando and Inez. Most telling are the ghost chairs located in the bedroom where both deaths occurred, which is today a small dining room named after the Empress Carlotta of Mexico. These ghost chairs show signs of wear, although sitting in them is forbidden. [Jerry Harrell, 06/24/2006]

[RA: We'll have our steaks in the Stabbing Room, please.]