Dinner
Tavern Visit at Alexander Michael's
Visit the 1983-era neighborhood tavern operating in the 1897 Crowell-Berryhill corner-store building. Diners and staff have reported a man sitting alone in a corner booth who vanishes.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
No photograph
on file
Est. 1897on file
HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
- 01Apparition of a man in a corner booth
- 02Apparition in upstairs window
- 03Cold spots in dining room
- 04Disembodied voices
+ 1 further entry on record
Haunted Dining / Bar
Alexander Michael's (Crowell-Berryhill Store)
1897 corner-store building in Charlotte's Fourth Ward — originally the Crowell-Berryhill Store — operating as a neighborhood tavern since 1983, with longstanding lore about a 'lonely local' said to be the spirit of Ernest Wiley Berryhill.
401 W 9th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 4 sources
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Operating neighborhood tavern with standard pub-fare and drink pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Street-level corner tavern in Fourth Ward; flat Uptown grade.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1897 · 1897 Crowell-Berryhill Corner Store · Fourth Ward Victorian-Era Commercial Architecture · Continuous Operation as a Tavern Since 1983
The corner-store building at 9th and Pine streets in Charlotte's Fourth Ward was constructed in 1897 as the Crowell-Berryhill Store. The structure functioned as a grocery and general store for surrounding Fourth Ward residents, then a residential and commercial neighborhood that retained many of its Victorian-era homes despite Charlotte's overall pattern of mid-twentieth-century demolition.
Ernest Wiley Berryhill — one of the store's operators — died in 1931. Local accounts emphasize that Berryhill was deeply invested in the store as his life's work. The building continued in commercial use under various tenants.
In January 1983, Alexander Michael's Restaurant opened in the building as a neighborhood tavern. The restaurant has operated continuously since and is one of the longest-running independent Fourth Ward establishments. The tavern's branding leans on the building's nineteenth-century corner-store roots and on its position as a community gathering space.
The Fourth Ward neighborhood's preservation of its Victorian-era residential fabric makes Alexander Michael's one of the standard walking-tour stops for Charlotte historical and ghost tours.
Sources
- https://almikestavern.com/
- https://www.charlottemagazine.com/entree-boo-5-charlotte-restaurants-said-to-be-haunted/
- https://queencityghosts.com/hauntings-of-alexander-michaels-restaurant/
- https://www.northcarolinahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/alexander-michaels.html
Apparition of a man in a corner boothApparition in upstairs windowCold spots in dining roomDisembodied voicesSensation of being watched
The most persistent legend at Alexander Michael's is what Queen City Ghosts calls the 'Lonely Local' — a ghostly figure seen sitting alone in a corner booth after closing time, often described as a quiet, solitary man who appears late at night. Servers cleaning up after the last guests have gone home report seeing him at the same booth, always in the same spot, who vanishes on a second look. Charlotte Ghost Tours and North Carolina Haunted Houses identify the figure as the spirit of Ernest Wiley Berryhill, the original store operator who died in 1931 and is said in the lore to be unwilling to give up his life's work.
A secondary report concerns an apparition believed to be Berryhill peering out from an upstairs window of the building, occasionally noted by Fourth Ward walking-tour participants from the street.
Accompanying phenomena include unexplained cold spots in specific zones of the dining room, disembodied voices when the restaurant is quiet, and the sensation of being watched in the upstairs spaces. These reports cluster in regional press coverage of Charlotte's haunted restaurants and in Fourth Ward walking-tour itineraries; the tavern itself acknowledges the lore as part of its Fourth Ward identity.
Notable Entities
Ernest Wiley Berryhill (Crowell-Berryhill Store operator, d. 1931)
Media Appearances
- Charlotte Magazine 'Entrée Boo'
- Queen City Ghosts
- Charlotte Ghost Tours
- WCNC 'Haunted tours through Charlotte's Fourth Ward'
- Ghost Stories of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County: Remnants of the Past in a New South by Stephanie Burt Williams (2003)
Plan Your Visit
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Featured on these tours
Queen City Ghosts (Charlotte Ghost Tours)
This Charlotte tour includes Alexander Michael's (Crowell-Berryhill Store) on its route.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alexander Michael's (Crowell-Berryhill Store) family-friendly?
Family-friendly neighborhood tavern. Haunted lore is presented as part of the venue's culture and is appropriate for all ages. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Alexander Michael's (Crowell-Berryhill Store)?
Operating neighborhood tavern with standard pub-fare and drink pricing.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Alexander Michael's (Crowell-Berryhill Store) wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Alexander Michael's (Crowell-Berryhill Store) is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Street-level corner tavern in Fourth Ward; flat Uptown grade..