This historical landmark has an unusual history: part aged juzgado (court and jail); part 200-year-old-plus home. Today it is a restaurant, where the jail cell is now a wine cellar and a private dining area, and another ghostly legend stalks. This legend has no name, just a headless monk sometimes carrying an ax, walking by on late nights.
Spooky and bizarre, says Stacy Strausbaugh, special events coordinator for the restaurant. “I never understood the legend. They never had any executions here… Not sure why a monk would want to kill anyone, or even carry an ax,” she says.
Perhaps it is best to leave it to the imaginations of its visitors, who have also reported seeing the White Lady of Rios Street peering through the windows. The El Adobe does not hide its haunted heritage – it proudly celebrates it at a special dinner event every Halloween.
El Adobe De Capistrano Restaurant is located at 31891 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. For more information, call (949) 493-1163 or visit eladobedecapistrano.com
